Untitled HPSG Crossover
by Starbucksmocha
Summary: The Deathly Hallows weren't what anyone had expected. When Harry sacrificed himself to save everyone he loves, he becomes something even Merlin had not predicted when he gifted the Hallows to the Peverell brothers. Harry is forced to fight once more - and this time, the stakes are higher than ever before.
1. Prologue

Hi everyone!

I apologize for not updating anything and being seemingly gone these last few years. That doesn't mean I've stopped writing altogether – in fact, I have several Harry Potter stories in the works, but as none of them are completed, I decided not to post them until I had finished writing them. However, I've had quite a few people still signing up for author and story alerts, and I wanted to thank you for not giving up on me. And so, to express my huge appreciation, I've decided to post one of my favourites I've been working on despite not having completed it – a Harry Potter and Stargate crossover fic. It is post-Deathly Hallows but does not include the epilogue.

I also want to thank my beta and cheerleader, Mara, who's put up with many of my story bunnies and long silences. You rock!

**Story Summary**: Deathly Hallows weren't what Harry had thought - weren't what anyone had thought. When Harry sacrificed himself to save everyone he loves, he becomes something even Merlin had not predicted when he gifted the Hallows to the Peverell brothers. With the realization that aliens are real and that witches and wizards are descendants of the Alterans, Harry is forced to fight once more - and this time, the stakes are higher than ever before. Follow Harry as he journeys across the stars to save the universe from the Goa'uld, the Wraiths, and the Ori.

Hope you all enjoy this – this is for you!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter or Stargate

* * *

**Prologue**

The Ancients, the builders of the Astria Porta and the most advanced race in existence, returned to Terra after they fled from the Wraith in the Pegasus Galaxy. While some chose to Ascend, many opted to live out their lives among the primitive humans on Earth, and eventually gave birth to a new evolution of humans – those who had the ability to manipulate the very energy around them, which they came to call magic.

When Merlin Descended and appeared among these magic users, he found that they had amazing range of abilities, much more broad than even his Alteran brothers, though the humans required a tool, a wand, to perform much of their acts of magic. He on the other hand, as he had most of his Ascended powers, could perform all of the feats wandlessly, resulting in much admiration from the wizards and witches of the time.

While Merlin had earlier taken King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in his confidence, he did not do so with the magic users as they had qualities that made Merlin wary. He fully believed they meant well, but their attitudes towards Muggles reminded him unpleasantly of the Ori. Still, Merlin did not wish to leave the Alterans' true descendants with nothing, particularly if the plans he made to defeat the Ori failed. And so, he helped guide the four incredible witches and wizards, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, to build a school of magic, and hid within the school a wealth of treasures and Alteran technology, including a Repository of Knowledge. And the only key to accessing that vault he left in the hands of the three Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus, which, when held in the hands of one who is true, would activate to take them to the vault.

What Merlin did not foresee was that the Founders would quarrel among themselves, causing Slytherin to use Merlin's idea of a secret chamber to build his own, and that time would cause the legend of Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets to spread, but fade into obscurity the gift of Merlin's vault. He also underestimated the greed of the Peverell brothers, who each desired to own all the artefacts created by Merlin, and in the end went their separate ways, causing the goal of finding a worthy successor who could use all three objects to discover Merlin's gift to be lost to time.

And so, the true history of the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility was forgotten, and their powers became nothing more than a fairy tale, the legend of the Deathly Hallows.

* * *

Everyone knows the story of Harry James Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, the only one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord Voldemort, formerly known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. They admired Harry's incredible luck, his survival and triumph against seemingly insurmountable odds. Harry, however, would more likely call it a curse, for these difficult – and sometimes ridiculous – ordeals kept happening to him, without his input or desire.

So really, Harry thought to himself, he should have expected that the Deathly Hallows weren't really what he'd thought they were, and that they would lead him to some weird hall when just moments before he'd been in the Forbidden Forest, trying to summon his loved ones from beyond the grave.

Harry attempted to Apparate back to the Forest but that failed; likely, wherever he was, he was under an Anti-Disapparition Jinx. Sighing, Harry pocketed his Invisibility Cloak and looked around, but there was no way out. He cast spell after spell against the walls, but only managed to blacken it slightly. Frustrated, knowing that time was running out, Harry demanded, "Why have you brought me here?"

When silence was his only answer, Harry closed his eyes in despair, the desperation almost choking him. "Please, I have to... I have to die. I have to save them."

Just when Harry thought he'd be stuck in the cavernous room forever, there was a brilliant flash, and suddenly the place was filled with treasures and strange looking items, including, oddly enough, metals. Harry gaped at it all before looking around once more, hoping to find an exit. Unfortunately, there was none.

"Alright Harry, think damn you, think," he whispered to himself. Clearly he'd been brought here for a reason, and for all this to be revealed, he must have been judged worthy by something or someone.

Harry walked about, examining some of the strange items. There were a couple of large, translucent group of crystals, but there was nothing to fit them into – he thought at first it might have been a key to opening the strange-looking device sticking out of one of the walls, but that didn't work. Annoyed, Harry tossed the crystals aside and examined the device himself. Unfortunately, he didn't get very far before suddenly the device's "mouth" opened, and the coloured lights he'd been looking at became almost blinding. Mere seconds later Harry found himself with the knowledge of his location – Merlin's vault – and how to get out. Harry didn't bother to question it, just hurriedly put on his Cloak and used the beam transporter to return to the Forbidden Forest.

What Harry didn't know at the time – and would not find out for some time – was that the Repository of Knowledge would have eventually caused his death, for although he, like his fellow witches and wizards, were further along in their evolution than Muggles and therefore more capable of assimilating the vast information that had just been transferred directly into his brain, his physiology was still not up to the standard of the Alterans. However, when Harry bravely sacrificed himself so that Voldemort could be defeated, he achieved Spiritual Ascension, for he was a pure soul who had opened his mind and had shed his fears and worldly attachments.

And so Harry had Ascended, at the age of seventeen, a feat thought impossible for one so young from a race not yet fully evolved. But because he was anchored to the mortal plane through his blood that flowed in the veins of Tom Riddle, Harry could if he so chose and was of a strong enough will, return to the mortal plane with the powers of an Ascended Being. The Others could not intervene by their own rules of non-interference.

"But," one interjected, "He is still an Ascended Being, subject to our laws. It does not matter that he has a way to return. He cannot be allowed to use his powers to interfere in the lower planes of existence!"

There was much discussion. Harry Potter had Ascended on his own, was not completely dead and had a way to return, and they could not prevent him from returning nor could they simply strip him of his Ascension without breaking their one fundamental tenet.

In the end, a solution was agreed upon, however reluctantly. Harry was an Ascended Being, but once he returned to life, he could not be allowed to keep the knowledge and power he'd gained upon Ascension. But binding such powers would be a death sentence, for it would take time for even a small portion of his powers to be accessible, and his body, insufficiently evolved, would be unable to handle the knowledge from the Repository. Therefore, it was decided that while Harry's Ascended powers would be bound, he would be allowed to achieve and maintain the near-Ascension status of an Alteran, and thus able to contain the knowledge from the Repository without deterioration.

However, the Others were firm on one matter: Harry Potter could not know. He could not know about the state of the galaxy, that he'd Ascended, that his powers were just bound, and that he was now so close to Ascension again, for were he to know, he would act on such knowledge and interfere in humanity's progression.

As the Others began to leave, Ganos Lal witnessed Oma Desala remaining behind. "Do not interfere," she warned.

"I will not tell Harry Potter anything," Oma replied, and watched as Ganos left with the Others.

Oma wouldn't dare disobey the Others on this, for they were surely watching. However, she could influence Harry; she could nudge him to return to where he'd found the Repository, and that, Oma was sure, would be more than enough.

* * *

Harry left Ron and Hermione behind to return the Elder Wand to Albus Dumbledore's tomb when he suddenly remembered Merlin's vault and the Repository of Knowledge.

Harry was surprised he only recalled a fraction of the information in the Repository, but guessed it was because he wasn't an Ancient like Merlin had been – and how awesome was it that Merlin was from an entirely different race, a race that witches and wizards had descended from? Harry wanted to return to the vault, not so much for the treasures but for the Alteran technology that had been stored there by Merlin himself. And for that, he would need the Resurrection Stone.

Harry hesitated, but kept the Elder Wand with him and headed back into the Forbidden Forest. He could always return both artefacts once he'd fully explored Merlin's vault after all, or even leave the two Hallows in the vault to ensure no one would be able to find them and use them.

Harry thought it would take him a while to retrieve the Stone – he wasn't sure where he'd dropped the thing – but clearly being its Master meant more than just ownership, as it sailed into his hand when he wished for it. After turning the Stone three times in his hand, Harry reappeared in Merlin's vault.

He grabbed his mokeskin pouch, but it could only hold personal shields and Potentias. The one he really wanted to take, the molecular constructor, was far too large. So instead, using the Elder Wand, he conjured a bag and cast an Undetectable Extension Charm like Hermione had done to carry their supplies. Although the conjured bag wouldn't last, considering it was cast with the Elder Wand, Harry figured it would be fine for at least a day. Harry packed up everything, and though he hesitated over the Repository, he opted to leave it behind rather than destroy it.

Although Harry wanted to transport himself to Terra Atlantus to see the Astria Porta, he knew better than to simply take off without any warning. The war had just ended, and there was clean up to do and loved ones to mourn. Not to mention, Harry wasn't sure what he was going to do. Leave the planet in search of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy? And what would he do with it, exactly? And what about the Wraith? What if going there would invite more trouble to Earth? Then there was the plague that had driven the Alterans to the Pegasus Galaxy in the first place. There was no guarantee that Terra Atlantus was plague-free, and the last thing he wanted to do was become infected and spread the plague around.

And then there were his friends on Earth, and Teddy too. Harry wasn't sure he could leave them behind if he opted to leave the planet, and he knew they'd come willingly if he asked – or he thought they would – but even so, that wasn't fair to them. They had family here, and lives.

Harry badly wanted to tell Ron and Hermione. They'd been through everything together and if anyone deserved to know, it would be the two of them. Still, he couldn't help but feel like this shouldn't be shared. Harry had a feeling this was a road he was meant to travel alone.


	2. Chapter 1

Thank you all so much - I'm so glad you like the story! Please keep the reviews coming - they made my day!

I wanted to explain a couple of things:

1) I'm keeping everything according to canon timeline. This chapter takes approximately 6 months after the final battle - so November of 1998, which is Season 2 of SG-1.

2) As stated in the prologue, Harry only remembers a fraction of what's in the Repository, and Merlin of course did not include everything he knew in there either as he didn't fully trust the wizards and witches. So a lot of the information, such as the existence of the Ori, are not included in the Repository. Harry will discover everything he needs to know as far as the state of the galaxy goes as time goes on.

3) As for the plague, since the outpost in the arctic is separated from the Stargate, Harry believes the outpost may still be contaminated even as the Gate itself may not be.

4) While Harry does go on some of the adventures mostly on his own, several of the characters from the wizarding world will be aware of and participating in others, though to what extent I won't spoil. I hope that doesn't disappoint you.

5) Naturally Harry is quite powerful as a near-Ascended human being, but there are limitations as he's only one man, and there are other beings who are equally as powerful if not more so because of their ruthlessness - such as Anubis and the Ori. So Harry won't need to be made weaker to make things more interesting - and believe me, I have everything outlined to the conclusion of this saga, so the story won't be going off the rails ;)

This chapter focuses mostly on the wizarding world, but you'll start seeing more of the Stargate universe next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter One**

Harry woke up as usual to the sound of the alarm clock breaking. Sighing in resignation, Harry reached for his wand. A quick _Reparo_ later and it was as good as new – at least until the next morning, when it would need to be repaired all over again.

While Harry greatly enjoyed having powers that being a near-Ascended human brought him – really, no longer needing to wear glasses (although the hullabaloo over that he could have done without) and having the power to stun and summon lightning wandlessly was more than useful, especially when faced with multiple targets that were trying to defeat him to become the Elder Wand's master – accidentally using telekinesis and smashing the alarm clock to bits every morning because he was still half-asleep was tiresome. Poor Kreacher had had to buy alarm clocks in bulk as even the Mending Charm had limits.

Harry yawned as he tried to remember why he'd set the alarm on a Sunday, until he realized which Sunday it was. Today was the day Harry was going to watch Teddy, giving Andromeda a much-needed break. Harry practically leapt from the bed and dashed into the bathroom.

A quick shower later and Harry was dressed and ready to go. He hurried into the kitchen, intent on preparing a proper breakfast. Ever since Kreacher passed away, Harry had been living on take-away and whatever food Ron brought him from home, but he was going to need a lot of energy today to keep up with his rambunctious godson.

Teddy was still young – he only just started being able to completely roll over – but Harry was confident he could take care of the tyke well enough. He may not have experience in taking care of babies, but he certainly had more energy than Andromeda, and it was about time he spent some one-on-one time with his godson. Harry may be busy at the Ministry and Andromeda may be possessive over Teddy, but Harry wasn't about to neglect his godfatherly duties. Remus and Tonks had trusted him to care for their son, and that was exactly what he was going to do. It was his job to spoil Teddy rotten and do things with him that Andromeda would never approve of, like his father and godfather had done with Harry when he'd been a baby. So if all went well today, Harry was going to take Teddy flying – he just knew Teddy would love it.

Harry had just taken a sip of orange juice when the front page of the _Sunday Prophet_ caught his eye, causing him to choke. It was a looped photo of Ginny snogging the living daylights out of a boy Harry vaguely remembered as being from Ravenclaw, before she noticed the photographer and shoved the camera aside. Harry barely noticed the headline, "Ginevra Weasley Two-Timing Our Hero!", too busy staring at the image. Ginny looked... happy as she reached over to bestow a kiss on her date.

"Harry..." Ginny said regretfully as she stood in the doorway.

Harry roughly folded the paper in half, hiding the photo, before setting it beside his still-full plate. He was no longer hungry. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to explain."

Harry so did not want to hear this. "There's nothing to explain. You broke up with me – you're more than free to date someone else."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "I didn't cheat on you, Harry," she bit out frostily.

Harry sighed. "I didn't say that you did. In fact, I didn't even say anything about the fact that we broke up two weeks ago, and yet here you are, already snogging someone else."

"You know why we broke up," Ginny replied tiredly.

"Yes yes, I've heard you complain about it often enough," Harry snarled back. "I didn't pay you enough attention and couldn't even take you out on a proper date. Never mind that you chose to return to Hogwarts even knowing that I couldn't, not when there was so much to be done at the Ministry! It's not my fault that I could only see you on Hogsmeade weekends-"

"We couldn't even go out on a date without being mobbed!" Ginny cried out.

Harry stood up so fast his chair clattered to the floor. "That wasn't my fault! I didn't ask to be mobbed, and don't forget, you're the one who asked me not to disguise myself so people wouldn't think you were a cheater!"

Harry took a deep, calming breath. "Don't you dare blame this on me. We were separated for nearly a year with no contact, and yet my being only away to London, still able to visit and write, was too much to put up with? That's a load of dragon shit and you know it. I'm not the one who broke your heart, Gin," Harry waved the paper with the accompanying photo as proof. "You just didn't want to make the effort, didn't want to try, and that's not my fault."

When an awkward silence fell, Harry grabbed his plate and scraped the food into the rubbish bin for want of something to do. Honestly, Harry had truly loved Ginny, and he still did. He really had tried to make their relationship work, but relationships are a two-way street, and despite his best efforts Ginny hadn't been willing to try. That hurt the worst of all.

"I know, and I'm not blaming you, I swear," Ginny said, sounding pained. "It's not that I don't care about you, I just... I want a normal relationship, Harry, one that's easy and uncomplicated, which I can't have with you." She waited, and when Harry didn't say anything, added, "I really am sorry, you know."

Harry nodded without looking at her. "We just weren't meant to be, I guess." If Harry sounded a little choked up, Ginny was nice enough to ignore it.

"Think we can be friends someday?" she asked a little forlornly.

Harry stared at Ginny. He still felt the bitterness and hurt churning in his gut, but he hadn't missed her as much as he thought he should. "Maybe. I hope so."

Ginny shuffled her feet a little before straightening up. "Goodbye Harry. Take care of yourself."

"Goodbye Ginny."

* * *

Harry should have expected Ron and Hermione to come by once they saw the _Prophet_, both looking sad and worried – or Hermione was, at least. Ron looked angry and a whole lot uncomfortable. No doubt he'd already had words with Ginny – Ron had been just as upset and disappointed as Harry when Ginny had broken up with him.

"I'm fine," he reassured them, even mostly meaning it. "I hadn't been hoping we'd get back together or anything, so you can relax. And Ron, you don't need to give your sister a hard time for me, okay? We talked it out and we're fine."

Ron and Hermione exchanged sceptical glances. "Well..." Hermione trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"How's Hogwarts?" Harry asked, effectively changing the subject. Hermione decided to follow Harry's lead, and began to excitedly talk about her Ancient Runes project. Ron good-naturedly rolled his eyes behind Hermione's back, before helping himself to some tea.

Hogwarts had been fully restored, and the Board of Governors along with the Ministry of Magic had even placed a statue on the grounds depicting – despite Harry's vehement protests – Harry defeating Voldemort. Next to that hideous statue was a large monument of the names of the dead, those who'd died bravely fighting for the Light. Harry had only seen it once, when he'd been asked to be there for the dedication.

"Did the Headmistress tell you someone tried to break into Dumbledore's tomb again?" Hermione asked, bringing Harry's attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Really? I thought everyone knew I had the Elder Wand."

Harry had at first sealed the Wand in Dumbledore's tomb, but it hadn't taken long before someone had attempted to steal it. Ever since then, Harry kept the Wand in his mokeskin pouch along with the Cloak and the Stone, just in case.

In fact, Harry kept everything in his mokeskin pouch: half the Galleons from his bank vault, along with the entire contents of Merlin's vault, were stored in a specially bewitched magical trunk, which in turn was stored in the pouch. He'd withdrawn everything he owned from Gringotts Wizarding Bank because he no longer trusted the goblins and didn't wish to push his luck every time he had to make a withdrawal. Everything else – the money he'd inherited from Sirius as well as the remainder of the Potter vault – he'd converted to Muggle money and deposited it into a Swiss bank account. Ron called him paranoid, but even he couldn't disagree that the goblins were far frostier with them than with any other witch or wizard.

Ron shook his head. "Why they keep trying is beyond me. Especially after what happened with Zabini and that lot the last time. I hear Parkinson's still screaming about lightning at St. Mungo's," Ron said, snickering gleefully.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded before brightening up again. "How are things at the Ministry?"

Harry smiled proudly. "Pretty good. With the Death Eaters in Azkaban and the Ministry more or less sorted out, there are a couple of laws that Kingsley's hoping to enact within the next few weeks."

"Harry gave an interview and everything," Ron said with a laugh. "You should've seen the reporters – Braithwaite was practically drooling! Should be good for pushing it all through relatively painlessly."

"Well," Hermione commented, looking slightly envious, "I'm glad everything's going well."

"There'll still be plenty to do when you join us," Harry reassured her.

"Yeah, like dealing with the goblins." Ron snorted in contempt. "Still can't believe those blighters. We saved them from Voldemort and they keep harping on about making us pay for damages and that blasted dragon."

Hermione frowned, but before she could say anything, someone knocked on the door.

"Oh, that'll be Teddy and Andromeda!"

Harry hurriedly opened the door. "Morning Andromeda, Teddy," he said with a grin, before reaching for his godson. Harry held him securely and watched with delight as Teddy turned his hair jet-black and his eyes a brilliant green.

"Well," Andromeda said hesitantly, before taking a fortifying breath. She handed over a large bag. "The diapers are inside, and the formula and the bottles are on the side pocket there. I've also brought his favourite pyjamas, an extra robe and shoes, and some of his toys too. The cream for the diaper rash is in the front pocket, along with an extra pacifier-"

"Andromeda, it'll be fine," Harry reassured her.

"It's his first time in a strange house," Andromeda fretted, before handing over scrolls of parchment. "Just in case you didn't remember, I wrote down the things he's allergic to or doesn't like, and activities that you can do with him. There's a list of emergency Floo addresses just in case you can't get a hold of me, and I've put some extra Floo powder in the bag as well. He needs to nap-"

Harry interrupted Andromeda. "Andromeda, Teddy is going to be fine. We're going to have a great time, and you can come by at 8 to pick him up."

Andromeda looked at Harry before sighing. "He's all I have left," she whispered, before taking another deep breath. "I don't suppose you'd Floo me every hour-"

At the exasperated look on Harry's face, Andromeda reluctantly nodded. She kissed Teddy and touched his chubby cheek, before stepping back through the door. "I'll see you at 8."

"We'd better go too," Hermione added with a fond smile.

Harry shut the door behind them all before turning to his godson. "Well Teddy," Harry said before blowing a raspberry against his belly button. "Shall we go flying?"

Teddy just squealed and laughed in answer.

* * *

For those of you who might be wondering, this won't be Harry/Hermione. In fact, I don't have a pairing in mind for Harry at all. If he ever dates anyone else, I'll barely be mentioning it as romance isn't the focus of this fic.

I hope you liked it! Please don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 2

Thank you for all your reviews and interest in this fic! I appreciate each and every one of them, so please keep them coming!

About the Harry and Ginny conversation: I thought it made sense since they'd been together for long enough that when one person starts seeing someone else, you want to let the other person know without them finding out through a third party, especially when it's only been 2 weeks since the break-up. Plus Harry is an honorary Weasley and her brother is his best friend - it made sense to me that Ginny would try and resolve any issues before they could crop up. As for the fight for the Elder Wand, don't worry, you won't be seeing it. The focus will be more Stargate oriented from here on out. Although it's not like Harry was being attacked by skilled Death Eaters - it was Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and a couple of other people that they could round up, so it's not impossible that Harry was able to defeat them, especially with his near-Ascended powers, which they wouldn't have known he had.

In any case, this chapter is long and it has the long-awaited entrance of SG-1! I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter Two**

Harry sat in his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, absentmindedly rubbing a power crystal. It had been over a year and a half since the Final Battle of Hogwarts, and it finally felt like the time of true peace had come to the wizarding world. The Ministry of Magic was fully staffed again, this time with none of the ineffective and corrupt personnel thanks to their new hiring policies and monthly performance reviews. The unequal and unjust laws had also been scrapped despite some grumblings, and a record number of new laws were put into place to remove the inherent biases in the system and better the lives of all, including magical beings. Lastly, the Death Eaters and their sympathizers had all been arrested or were under careful scrutiny. The Ministry wasn't perfect, but it was as good as they could make it – for now.

Since the Ministry was mostly sorted and the Aurors were once again capable of policing and defending the people, Harry finally had time to use the Astria Porta and maybe even travel to Atlantis. Not for too long, of course – Harry still had work on Monday – but he at least had the time to test out his creation, the DBB, Defensive Body Beamer, or DOBBY as Harry had taken to calling it, named after one of the bravest and most loyal souls Harry had known. A fitting tribute, he thought.

As Harry had gained greater understanding of the various Alteran technologies and how they worked – like the travel through the Astria Porta or how the Potentia generated such tremendous amounts of power – he had used the molecular constructor to create items that he thought would be most useful to him, like the beam transporter and the invisibility device. Harry had at first tweaked them slightly by incorporating runes in an effort to improve them, such as making the transporter smaller and portable, in an effort to make it as effective as Apparition, and making the invisibility device behave more like his Cloak rather than shifting the wearer to an alternate dimension, to prevent radiation exposure. However, he found carrying them all along with a personal shield to be a hassle, especially when he needed a hand free to use his wand. And so Harry worked to combine them all into a single device. Unfortunately it was a task rather more difficult than he'd first imagined. Creating a device that could shield, transport and make the user invisible – both separately and simultaneously – was difficult enough, but Harry also had power issues, as he wanted to make sure the device would last long enough to be useful. And he wanted it to be durable yet something he could easily destroy if it fell into the wrong hands. It had taken months, with a rather copious use of runes and the Elder Wand, to create DOBBY.

With a sharp intake of breath, Harry carefully inserted the crystal into the distended end of the teardrop-shaped, naquadah-trinium covered device. By all calculations it should work, and that it had not exploded when Harry had inserted the power crystal indicated he'd been successful.

Harry cast the Shrinking Charm to make it about the size of his palm, and when nothing exploded or melted, he gave a whoop of delight. He called up each of the functions individually, and then all at once. With a satisfied grin, Harry grabbed the Elder Wand and transfigured the trinium armband he'd made until it could securely hold the device, and put it on.

Casting the Bubble-Head Charm just in case, Harry made himself invisible and tried to beam himself to the Astria Porta. Unfortunately, Harry found himself being tugged in two different directions, which could only mean there were two Astria Portas on Earth.

How that came to be Harry had no idea, but decided to go for one that appeared to be slightly further away, as that was likely to be the one near Terra Atlantus. When Harry reappeared, he was stunned to find himself not near the outpost as he'd expected, but in a large warehouse. He used his super-hearing, yet another ability he had gained thanks to the Repository, and heard people – Muggles, American by the sound of it – talking. Harry had no idea what a Death Glider was nor what P6J813 was, but he heard enough of it to understand. Somehow, the American Muggle military had gotten a hold of the Astria Porta – or Stargate, as they were calling it – and were traveling through them, contacting – and sometimes fighting – aliens on other planets.

Harry looked around and saw a large crate, clearly holding the Stargate. That meant the American Muggle military had the other Stargate too, and was using that one if they were keeping this one in storage. That they had access to such Alteran technology and knew how to use it was troubling.

There was no point in panicking, however. Perhaps things weren't as bad as Harry was envisioning. He needed to find out more before jumping to conclusions. He would look around this place and see what he could find. But first...

Harry needed an Astria Porta, and this was clearly the only one Harry could use without drawing unwanted attention. After a quick Silencing Charm, Harry lifted the Stargate and the clavis out of the crate and cast _Geminio_. He placed the duplicates into the crate and transported the real ones to Merlin's vault. The fake would eventually disappear, but for now it would be enough to fool the Muggles should they come looking.

* * *

That the complex was called Area 51 tickled Harry's funny bone until he realized it likely meant the Muggles had been studying alien technologies, including Alteran ones, for decades. Harry looked around for someone of high rank that he could use Legilimency on; unfortunately, the only one Harry found was surrounded by too many Muggles and their surveillance equipment for him to risk casting a spell. Thankfully, he eventually learned enough from just looking around. While there were plenty of interesting technologies they were researching – many from the parasitic race called the Goa'uld – none were Alteran in origin. Just in case, Harry followed one of the scientists out of the complex and snuck into the back of his car. Once a sufficient distance away, Harry had the man pull into a car park. A quick Legilimency later confirmed what Harry had found, and provided him with his next destination: the Stargate Command in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado.

Harry transported himself into the woods near the Cheyenne Mountain Complex since the "Alpha Gate" was under constant watch, and his sudden appearance – or rather the white column of light – wouldn't have gone unnoticed. Fortunately, there were enough wooded areas not far from Area 52 that Harry could easily walk there.

Harry thought the Cheyenne Mountain Complex was aptly named as he made his way into the tunnel set at the base of the mountain past the security. Although he had hoped there would be enough people around that he could easily enter any high security areas, there were so many bodies to avoid that he had some trouble moving around without attracting notice. What was worse than that though was how large the whole complex was. Harry had known from the scientist that there were 28 sub-levels that he would need to investigate, but hadn't realized how difficult his task would be without using magic. Harry was going to need help.

* * *

"Wait, what?" Ron looked absolutely gobsmacked.

Harry grimaced. "Which part are you having trouble with? The fact that we're the descendants of an ancient alien race or that the American Muggle military somehow got a hold of two Stargates and have been foolishly using it, and in the process attracted the attentions of a parasitic race that now wants to destroy our planet?"

"Yeah, that," Ron said weakly, looking rather green.

"This is unbelievable!" Hermione exclaimed as she paced around the room. "It explains why we have magic – and clearly proves those pure-bloods wrong! Witches and wizards exist because aliens mixed with humans! And that explains the existence of Squibs, doesn't it? Too much inbreeding! There's probably a gene for magic that requires a mix of alien and Muggle DNA! They need Muggles – and Muggle-borns – to create more witches and wizards!"

"Well that's all well and good, but can we focus on the important thing here?" Harry said sharply. "The American Muggle military are traveling to other planets and doing Merlin knows what! I tried to sneak into their base of operations, but it's 28 levels below ground and using magic is too risky because of all the Muggle technology."

Hermione tried to focus. "Well... If we can't sneak in, then maybe we could sneak in something else? Is there like an Alteran video camera?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. But we can make one, and make it small enough so it'd be easier to sneak in. But I'll need help. You can use the Repository in Merlin's vault and help me build it."

Ron winced. "Does it hurt?"

"Nah. You're a little dizzy for a second, but it goes away. The information comes gradually, but if you think about something you need to know or build, the knowledge comes pretty easily, even if you don't exactly know how it works."

Ron looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, but Hermione had an ecstatic expression on her face. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

* * *

"Whoa," was all Ron said once the Repository finished downloading the information into his brain. "So... now what?"

Harry was digging through his mokeskin pouch. "Now you guys can help me think about creating a device that can record what it sees and project it to us. It'll need to be invisible and weightless to make sure it isn't detected."

Hermione had already conjured paper and quill and was scribbling ideas, but Ron simply watched Harry as he dragged a huge trunk with multiple locks out of his mokeskin pouch. This was just too strange. They weren't really human? Merlin was an alien? And what were they going to do, exactly? Ron was no coward, but they'd already gone through a war – he really wasn't looking for another one, especially when the stupid Muggles were the ones who'd created the mess in the first place by messing with things they didn't understand.

Still, Ron wasn't about to stand by and let the entire planet be destroyed. But the question was, what could they do? Harry seemed confident they could do something – perhaps he'd gotten some information from the Repository that could help...

Hermione frowned. "Do you think a Disillusionment Charm will be sufficient to hide the device from the Muggles? Because I don't think we can make it small enough if we have to incorporate the invisibility technology."

"Invisibility?" Ron asked, and suddenly knew how to build himself a machine that could make you invisible. "Wicked," he said in awe.

"I think we can get away with a Disillusionment Charm, though that will eventually fade. Maybe a self-destruct then, or should we retrieve the recorder?"

"Why not conjure it?" Ron suggested. "That way we don't have to worry about it falling into Muggle hands."

Hermione's eyes lit up, and they were off. Because the Ancients had no need for such recording devices and the Muggle ones would be disrupted by magic, they had to design and build one from scratch. So in the end, they tweaked the Ancient holographic technology and made it record whatever was within its view, like a Muggle camcorder. They also created a magical television screen so that they could see what the device was recording in real time. Unfortunately they couldn't make it too small or else the viewing range wouldn't be large enough, which meant they had to be able to control the device somehow so that it could move to avoid detection. Harry eventually took the idea from the remote-controlled toy airplanes of Dudley's he'd seen when he was younger, and programmed the device to be able to move and hover, depending on what its controller indicated.

In the end, it took nearly three days to not only build the device but make the conjured recorder last long enough to make it useful, for it seemed nearly impossible to make a conjured device hold that many functions for more than an hour. Hermione even suggested they try using the actual recorder they'd built and simply retrieve it later, but Harry didn't want to risk it. After much trial and error – and judicious use of the Elder Wand – they managed to conjure a recorder that would last for ten hours.

Hidden behind Muggle-Repelling and Silencing Charms near the Muggle base, they watched as Harry guided the recorder past the checkpoints and into the mountain itself. The halls weren't too wide and there were quite a few people moving about, but fortunately the recorder could fly over everyone's heads.

It took nearly an hour before they discovered the correct lift that would take them down to where they needed to go, and Ron groaned when he only saw sub-level 11.

"Did we pick the wrong one? Doesn't it need to go down to level 28?"

Fortunately, before Harry could move the recorder too far away from the lift, a man called out, "Carter!"

"Carter! I heard that name at Area 51!" Harry quickly whipped the recorder around and saw an older man with graying hair approaching a blonde woman.

Harry flew the recorder full-speed towards the lift the man was entering. To the trio's immense relief, their recorder safely made its way into the lift before the doors closed.

They listened with half an ear as the man and Carter exchanged pleasantries and discussed the upcoming "off-world" mission. Harry made the recorder follow them as they navigated the corridors to a different lift, and entered that to make their way down to level 28.

"What luck!" Ron said in relief, and Harry nodded in agreement.

Hermione, who had been silent the whole time they'd been at it, finally pointed at the screen. "Look at the sheer size and scale of this Muggle operation! There are 28 sub-levels, and likely hundreds, maybe thousands, of personnel. And there's that whole Area 51 as well!"

Harry didn't need to look at Ron and Hermione to know they were worrying over the same thing he was. How much did these Muggles know about the Alterans? Did they know about their descendants? Was the wizarding world at risk of exposure? Was the Statute of Secrecy about to be broken? How were the witches and wizards supposed to contain all of this?

Carter and the man had barely stepped out of the lift when another man, younger and wearing glasses, greeted the duo.

"Hey Jack, Sam," the glasses-wearing man said.

"Daniel," the man – Jack, presumably – replied.

"The scientists from Area 51 are here. You're both needed in the briefing room."

"What do they want?" Jack warily asked before reluctantly following the others.

"They have questions about the device you built while you had the knowledge from the Ancient Repository."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other in alarm.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well... They don't know how to make it work," Daniel confessed, just as they entered the briefing room where several men were sat.

"Hello Major Carter, Colonel O'Neill," one of them greeted before gesturing at the strange-looking machine on the table. It looked crude and like nothing the Ancients would ever build. "We're having difficulties figuring out how this power booster device works."

Jack looked at them in confusion. "So? What do you want me to do about it?"

"Well... you did build it, Colonel," another man said, looking rather flustered. "We were hoping you might remember-"

"Listen guys, I didn't even know what I was doing when I was building the thing; I certainly don't know now that all that stuff is out of my head. Daniel," Jack said, turning to the younger man, "Tell them."

Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh, yes, the Asgard removed any and all knowledge that Jack had gained from the Ancient Repository."

"It was my understanding that the Colonel built it using our technology, and powered it with the liquid naquadah power cell from a Staff weapon," Carter – Sam – interjected.

"Yes, and we've replaced the liquid naquadah, but it still won't activate," the first man replied.

One of the others brought out plans that were clearly the schematics of the power booster. "We thought we'd determined how the booster used the liquid naquadah to generate enough power to allow travel to another galaxy, but since replacing the power source failed to even light it up – and as far as we can tell, there seems to be nothing wrong with the device itself – it's clear we're missing something. We thought perhaps we could get some insights from you and Colonel O'Neill."

Jack snorted. "You've had that thing for months! How much are we paying you again?"

"Jack," Daniel admonished him.

Harry, Ron and Hermione, who had been watching avidly, breathed a sigh of relief. It was clear from the discussion that whatever knowledge this Colonel Jack O'Neill received from the Repository was gone.

"How did he even make the Repository work in the first place? He can't be a wizard," said Ron.

"Maybe he's a Squib," Hermione suggested.

"Think he knows about magic?" Ron worriedly asked.

"Shh!" Harry waved at Ron and Hermione to quiet them.

"Are you insane? No, absolutely not!" Jack was furiously exclaiming. "I am not putting my life at risk just so you eggheads can figure out how this stupid thing works!"

"But it won't just be one thing-" the man who Jack was shouting at was saying, before Daniel interrupted them.

"Listen, Jack had no control over what he knew or what he was doing. He gradually lost his ability to speak English, then to understand it, until eventually the information overwhelmed his brain. The only reason he's fine now is because of the Asgard; to do so again – and hope the Asgard would again agree to help him – is suicide."

"Huh." Ron tapped his chin. "Think that happened cause he's a Squib? I mean, we're fine," he gestured at them.

"Maybe," Harry said uncertainly, suddenly feeling rather unsure about having allowed Ron and Hermione to use the Repository.

Hermione watched for a little longer until the scientists began to leave. "At least it looks like this Colonel O'Neill doesn't know about magic. If he did, he would have told someone already – they go on missions to other planets, and witches and wizards would be real helpful to them."

They watched the briefing between SG-1 and the General in charge of the whole facility, and then had the recorder follow the doctor, Daniel Jackson, who seemed to be the "expert" on alien races. His office was a mess, filled with books, computers, artefacts and even bones, of all things. What worried Harry the most, however, were the printouts of the languages of the Alliance of Four Great Races, the Ancients, the Asgard, the Furlings and the Nox. Harry had the recorder thoroughly scan the room to determine where the security camera was located, and when Daniel finally left to join his team on their mission off-world, Harry moved the recorder out to the hallway and handed the controller to Hermione.

"What... Harry, no!" she protested when she realized what he was doing.

"Listen, it'll be fine. I'm going to Apparate into his office – invisible so I won't be seen. I have to find out what they know in detail."

"Take us with you then." Ron stood up to join Harry.

"No. I need you to keep watch. Let me know through this-" Harry rifled through his mokeskin pouch again until he pulled out the familiar fake Galleons from their DA days, "If anyone is coming."

Hermione looked less than happy, but agreed nevertheless. "Okay. Be careful, Harry."

Harry smiled at Ron and Hermione before disappearing with a small pop.

Harry risked shooting a Confundus Charm at the camera, since that would be better than having recordings of books and papers lifting by themselves. He carefully examined the printouts and all the books and papers Daniel had strewn around his office. Harry read through the old mission reports he'd found – of which there were many. The adventures and battles that were described were incredible, foolish, troubling, engrossing, and more. Knowing that he was running out of time, Harry decided to risk casting another spell and duplicated the reports.

Harry discovered to his immense relief that even though Daniel had proof of the Alliance, he had no idea what it said. It eased many of Harry's worries, for it was clear that the Muggles knew very little about the Ancients, except that they were an advanced race that had created the Stargate. These Muggles had no idea there existed descendants of the Alterans, let alone that they were living on Earth in hidden communities. It also seemed they were focused on protecting Earth and eliminating the Goa'uld threat. Quite frankly, Harry found them rather admirable. They were bumbling about and causing problems for Earth, but that hadn't been their intention and they were doing their best to protect not just Earth but other worlds from the Goa'uld. Harry definitely understood and empathized with them.

Harry debated on sending the recorder around the base, but ultimately decided there was no point. He'd found all he needed to know, and while it was highly unlikely their spellwork would fail, it was better to be safe than sorry. And so, Harry cancelled the conjuration and Apparated back to Hermione and Ron.

* * *

"Well," Harry said when they returned to Grimmauld Place, "Their intentions are good, at least."

"There's a reason the phrase 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions' exists," Hermione argued, her hands tightening around the duplicated reports. "They mean well, yes, but they've already almost destroyed us several times – all without us or anyone else in the world knowing!"

"What if we just take away their Stargate?" Ron suggested. "Then they'd have no way to travel to other planets and wreak more havoc."

Harry shook his head. "That won't be enough. They already have an alien spacecraft they're tinkering with. Not to mention, these Goa'uld know of Earth. We're already in danger."

"We should tell the International Confederation of Wizards," Hermione declared. "Either the Magical Congress of the United States of America needs to be informed of what the Muggles are doing, or they need to be brought before the ICW to be held accountable for their failure to disclose matters that are vital to our survival."

"And then what?" Ron asked, frustration lining his face. "You think they'll believe us just because we say so? Harry's name will go a long way, no question, but we have no proof that witches and wizards are the descendants of an alien race, or that these Goa'uld are capable of destroying us."

"And!" Ron continued loudly when Hermione looked ready to interrupt him. "Say they do believe us. Then what? What can they do? Obliviating the Muggles won't help defend the planet from these aliens, and we can't expose our existence to the Muggles! Besides, what can we do against their spaceships and weapons that can fire from space? Telling will either brand us as lunatics, or at best cause massive panic."

Hermione bit her lip in thought. "Well, there's the City the Ancients left behind in the Pegasus Galaxy; that's got to be more advanced than what these Goa'uld are using, right? The City will not only be proof that we're telling the truth, but we'll be able to protect the planet with it."

Harry again shook his head. "There are these creatures called the Wraith in the Pegasus Galaxy. The Ancients found there were simply too many of them to overcome, so they sunk Atlantis to the bottom of the ocean and came back to Earth through the Stargate. We won't be able to bring Atlantis back to Earth without somehow defeating them first, and the Alterans fought the Wraith for a century before they fled."

"And even if we bring Atlantis to Earth, not all witches and wizards are going to be comfortable with using alien technology and traveling through space," Ron pointed out. "I bet the only ones who'll be fine are the Muggle-borns and maybe some half-bloods, which means it'll cause _another_ division, and we've only just brought the wizarding world back together."

Hermione sat back down and blew out a terse sigh. "But this still isn't our decision to make. It isn't like hunting Horcruxes – the risk is to the entire _planet_. It wouldn't be right for us to make a decision for every witch and wizard. I say we bring this to the ICW. Even if they decide to do nothing, everyone still deserves to know what the American Muggles are doing. Besides, it'll get out sooner or later – you simply can't keep a secret this big for very long."

"That might very well be true, Hermione, and I do agree with you, but I don't think it's a good idea," Harry said at last. "Ron's right. Announcing that we're from an alien race will not go over well, assuming we're even believed in the first place. We're also just now moving on from the last war, and no one is going to be happy with the idea that we might enter into another one, especially if it's because of the Muggles. And the last thing we need is more anti-Muggle rhetoric, especially if they're the only ones able to stand in the way of the Goa'uld."

Hermione tugged at her frizzy hair in frustration. "So what, we just leave things as they are? Leave the fate of the entire planet in the hands of the American Muggle military?"

"What else can we do?" Ron stood up and gestured wildly. "Expose our very existence to the Muggles?"

Hermione opened her mouth to argue back but Harry held up his hand. "Hang on, there's something..." There was a thought tickling at the back of Harry's head, something he knew was important. "Yes! There are these ships in Atlantis that can be flown through the Stargate. We don't have to bring the whole City home – as long as we have enough flyers, we'll be able to bring those ships to Earth! Of course, they'll have to learn how to fly them, but we won't need that many people. I'm pretty sure they're more than advanced enough to handle whatever problems the Goa'uld throw at Earth."

Ron still didn't look happy, but there were few options available. "And what do we do about the Muggles?"

Harry shrugged. "If we run into them, we'll just pretend we're aliens from a different galaxy who came to Earth to protect it from the Goa'uld since it is the land of our ancestors. It's not really lying either, since we'll have come from Lantea in the Pegasus Galaxy."

Hermione stood up but collapsed back into her seat, suddenly feeling faint.

"Hermione? You alright?" Ron worriedly asked, hurrying to her side.

"I'm okay," she reassured him. "I just got really dizzy for a second."

She'd barely said that before Ron was collapsing as well, and Harry rushed to catch him before he fell.

"What's going on?" Harry frowned as he stared at his two best friends who were looking rather wan.

"Guess we need to dormata," Hermione weakly replied.

Harry was helping Ron over to a seat when he whipped his head back around so fast that Hermione wondered how he didn't get whiplash. "Dormata?"

"Huh?" Hermione said quizzically.

"You said dormata instead of sleep."

"Did I?" she asked, puzzled. "Latin?"

Harry shook his head. "No. Ancient." He began to pace. "That Colonel guy also used the Repository, and soon began to lose his ability to speak English. It eventually took over his brain and he almost died. What happened to him must be happening to you," Harry concluded, looking grim.

"But... that's not possible!" Hermione argued. "He began to show deterioration soon afterwards – nou didn't!"

"There, you did it again!" Harry exclaimed. "You said nou instead of we. This is how it starts!"

"But why is it happening to us and not you?" Ron pointed out. "Why is there nothing cruvis with you?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she registered what Ron had just said. "Oh no. Oh, this isn't good."

"Maybe because I'm the Master of the Deathly Hallows," Harry offered. "They were created by Merlin to bring me to his vault. Maybe only I was supposed to use the Repository."

"We have to remove this knowledge from our fron then," Hermione reluctantly said, feeling devastated at the prospect of losing so much knowledge.

Ron turned rather green. "Do we need to go see that alien that Muggle saw? Can't we just be Obliviated?"

Harry tried to grin at Ron's queasiness over possibly meeting the Asgard, but it fell flat. "The knowledge is too much to simply Obliviate, and Memory Charms can always be broken. I think I'll be able to build something though. Just... rest, I'll be back soon."

* * *

Since the Ancients had never seen the need to build themselves a device that would wipe or alter a person's memory, Harry had to create one from scratch. Fortunately, Harry had become something of an expert with Memory Charms thanks to his job as an Auror, and was able to build himself a memory extractor based on the charm – along with the knowledge of how the brain stored memory – in a fairly short amount of time.

Harry returned to Grimmauld Place and put Ron and Hermione to sleep, since it'd be much easier to perform the procedure if they were unconscious. He then took the extractor he'd built – a metal box twice the size of DOBBY – and activated it. When the extractor finished scanning Hermione's brain and found locations where the foreign knowledge that had been introduced by the Repository resided, Harry extracted them and then healed the breaches left behind. Once he finished with Ron, Harry left them to sleep. He needed to go to the Ministry and see Kingsley.

* * *

Harry Flooed into the Atrium, and was glad to see it was relatively empty. He was definitely not in the mood to be gawked at.

As was usual, Harry paused by where the Magic is Might statue used to be; it was destroyed soon after the Battle of Hogwarts. In its place was a fountain so much better than the biased and egotistical Fountain of Magical Brethren. Every magical being depicted around the edges of the fountain looked proudly outward at the Atrium, and in the centre was a tall plinth that had _Nos Memento_ (we remember) carved into it. Harry had accidentally started a new tradition when he swore by the fountain to serve the wizarding world and all its occupants to the best of his ability; soon after, every Ministry worker repeated the same oath by the fountain, and all new employees did the same before they began their job.

Harry quickly moved towards the lifts – the security desk was no longer there – and allowed the Probity Probes to scan him. Once it cleared him, the lift doors opened, and Harry had the lift head directly for Level 1.

"Hello Percy, is he in?" Harry asked Percy Weasley who was at his desk outside Kingsley's office. Before Percy could answer – or announce him to Kingsley – Harry knocked and entered the office of the Minister for Magic, leaving Percy sputtering behind him.

"Kingsley, I need to speak with you. You may want to cancel all your appointments for the next little while," Harry said without preamble, taking a seat in front of Kingsley's desk.

Kingsley looked at Harry for a moment, taking in the grave expression on his most famous Auror's face. "Percy, we're not to be disturbed."

When Percy nodded and shut the door, Kingsley put up a Silencing Charm. "What is it?" he asked in his deep voice, his face serious and ready for battle.

"Hang on," Harry said before digging through his pouch to grab the Elder Wand. It was a little overkill, but Silencing Charms could be broken; it'd be harder to break the _Muffliato_ cast by the Elder Wand.

"Alright then." Harry took a deep breath. "Wizards and witches are descendants of an alien race called the Ancients; they came to Earth some 10,000 years ago from another galaxy, and lived among the humans of this planet. They were incredibly advanced technologically and left behind several artefacts – all of which I have – and a Stargate that allows for travel to other planets. This Gate was found by the American Muggle military, and they've been using it for years to travel to these strange worlds. As you might expect, they've gotten themselves – and us by proxy – in trouble. There's a parasitic race called the Goa'uld that uses humans as hosts, and the Americans – and therefore Earth – have caught their attention. They have ships that can fire weapons from space that could wipe out this entire planet before we could even register their presence. And the only ones that know of this are a few American Muggles."

Kingsley blinked, then blinked again. "I am not going to ask if you're serious," he finally said.

"Good, cause I'm not joking."

Kingsley remained silent for some minutes. "Do they know of the magical world?"

"No. They know of the Ancients, but not that they lived on Earth or left behind descendants who are currently living hidden from them."

Kingsley breathed a deep sigh of relief at that reassurance. "You have a plan," he stated rather than asked, knowing Harry wouldn't have just dropped it all on him like this without some kind of an idea on how to handle it.

Harry nodded. "The Alterans left behind a City-ship called Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. Within the City, there are smaller spaceships that can be used to defend this planet from the Goa'uld. I'm going to take a couple of people that can fly well with me to Altantis to bring these ships back to Earth."

Kingsley leaned back in surprise. "Atlantis?"

Harry smiled. "Yeah. Unfortunately, we can't bring the City back here because there's a terrible enemy there that defeated the Alterans, and they're likely still around."

Kingsley nodded, not bothering to question that further as he had more pressing concerns. "And the reason you're telling me this now is?"

When Harry looked surprised, Kingsley snorted. "Come on Harry, give me a little credit. You had to have known about these Alterans for a while. I know you, remember? You wouldn't have mentioned this to me unless you needed something from me."

"To be fair," Harry said rather sheepishly, "I only found out about the American Muggle military thing a few days ago."

Kingsley waved away the implicit apology. "So what do you need? Aurors?"

"No. We barely have enough Aurors as is, I can't take more from the department. Besides, I already have a group in mind."

"Then what?"

"I know most people won't believe me if I tell them the truth, but if something happens, if we fail..."

"You want me to discretely tell certain people," Kingsley concluded. "People I trust, people who'll believe me."

"Yeah. And definitely someone in the Department of Mysteries – maybe the Unspeakables could create wards or shields that can protect us. I believe we'll be successful, but just in case..."

Kingsley nodded. "When are you going to travel to Atlantis?"

"As soon as everything can be arranged."

Harry saw the conflict on Kingsley's face and knew the Minister wanted to join them. After all, the famed City of Atlantis wasn't just a tale known to Muggles. A chance to see it wasn't something any witch or wizard would willingly give up. However, Kingsley had duties, and unlike Harry, he couldn't ask for a couple of days off from work.

Kingsley sighed in resignation. "Be careful," he said instead.

"When am I not?" Harry wryly answered.

* * *

Harry had originally intended to Floo to Hogsmeade and then walk up to Hogwarts to speak to Neville, but decided against it since he didn't want to keep repeating himself when he could just tell everyone at once. Besides, he had no intention of going anywhere near the damn statue again. And so Harry instead owled everyone, asking them to come over to his house that evening to discuss something very important.

There was no question that Harry would ask those he trusted from the old DA, particularly those he knew could fly well. Harry knew some of them had lives that they couldn't just leave behind so easily – like George, who ran the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes on his own, or Neville who was apprenticed to Professor Sprout – but they would only be gone for about a week, and once the ships were on Earth, they could go back to their lives, only coming out to defend the planet. Harry still felt as though the rest – defeating the Wraith and the Goa'uld – were his burdens and his battles, something he was meant to do alone.

While waiting, Harry finished some long-overdue paperwork and other minor tasks so that he could clear his schedule for the next week. Ron and Hermione, who'd woken up from their nap feeling much better – Hermione explained how she hadn't even realized the knowledge from the Repository had made her feel weighed down until it was gone – soon joined him with food, and they ate quickly and quietly in anticipation.

Fortunately they didn't have to wait long; soon, the requested members of the DA – along with Oliver Wood – joined them.

"What's going on, Harry?" Neville asked, looking worried as he stared at the group that Harry had summoned.

"Hang on a bit, I'll explain everything soon. Gather around me, alright?"

Harry turned the Resurrection Stone three times and they were all transported to Merlin's vault.

They appeared in the cavernous room with a flash of light, without feeling a pull from their navel like they expected from Portkey travel or experiencing the squeezing sensation of Apparition.

"What was that?" George asked, as he joined the others in looking around the odd place.

"Welcome everyone to Merlin's vault, the secret chamber he built within Hogwarts," Harry announced.

Katie's brows furrowed quizzically. "I didn't know Merlin had a chamber here."

"He had it built while the Founders were constructing the castle. I imagine that's where Slytherin got his idea for the Chamber of Secrets."

"But that's not possible," Angelina argued. "Everyone knows Merlin attended Hogwarts as a student during the medieval era and was Sorted into Slytherin."

"No, Harry's right," Hermione said. "History must have gotten things twisted around. The Founders were students of Merlin's; he helped them build Hogwarts."

"Listen guys, please sit and I'll explain everything, okay?" Harry spoke loudly, getting everyone's attention.

With that everyone conjured or transfigured themselves seats, and Harry laid out the facts as he knew them. Although they were disbelieving exclamations, they listened until Harry was done.

"That's crazy that is!" was the first thing anyone said.

"Told you they wouldn't believe it," Ron said scornfully, glaring at Seamus who had spoken.

"Look behind you." Harry gestured and the Astria Porta – with the metal cover no longer attached – became visible.

"Whoa," said Dean.

"Wicked," George agreed, before walking around the platform that held the huge circular structure.

Neville touched the metal ring, and examined the odd symbols on it. "Are these... constellations?"

"Yeah. When I press the correct symbols, the Stargate will activate and we can go to the City of Atlantis through the ring. It's like Apparition or Portkey travel, except the Stargate does the work for you. Here, come stand by me."

They turned to where Harry was standing and gathered around him and the large podium. Shaped like a pedestal, there was a reddish half-sphere in the centre, and surrounding it were circular rings with symbols that matched the ones on the Stargate. Each time Harry pressed a symbol, it lit up and the inner ring of the Stargate began to spin. Once all the chevrons were lit up, there was a violent burst of energy accompanied by a kawoosh sound, and there were startled yells as some fell back.

"Bloody hell," was all Ron could say as he stared at the bluish ripple that looked like a vertical pool of water, filling the inside ring of the Stargate. He hesitated before touching the event horizon, half expecting to feel wetness on his fingers. Ron was about to step through when Hermione yelled, "Wait!"

"What?" he snapped back as he turned around, looking annoyed.

"We can't just go through now! Harry said we'll need to be gone for a week – have you spoken to anyone at the Ministry to let them know that?"

As Ron sheepishly moved away from the Stargate, Harry shut it down. "So now do you believe me?"

There were some frightened looks as they realized just what Harry being right meant. Harry was glad to see that others, like Neville, looked determined.

"Listen, you'll just be the last line of defense in case the Goa'uld ever come to Earth. I don't expect you to give up the lives you have and leave everything behind; I don't expect to do that myself. The American Muggle military appear to have things well in hand for now. So go home, have some dinner if you haven't eaten, and pack enough things to be able to last a week. We'll be leaving for Atlantis tomorrow morning at 9 from my house. If you're not there, I'll assume you didn't want to come – which is fine. I understand this is a lot to take in."

"Understatement of the century, mate," George replied, and got some awkward chuckles for his efforts.

"I know." With that, Harry activated the beam transporter and they all appeared in the Forbidden Forest. "Get some rest," Harry told them, and watched as they Apparated away.

"That was... amazing!" Hermione exclaimed when it was just she and Ron with Harry.

"I'm going to go to London, grab enough food and whatnot for everyone," Harry said. "There are beds and everything there, so we're set on that front."

Hermione wasn't listening, looking like she was barely containing herself from asking Harry a million different questions. Ron, on the other hand, had perked up at the mention of food. "I'll see if I can ask mum to prepare some treats too," he offered. When Hermione opened her mouth, Ron just grabbed her and mouthed to Harry that he owed him before Apparating away with Hermione.

Harry just chuckled.

* * *

So what did you think?


	4. Chapter 3

I'm so glad so many of you are enjoying this story! I can't answer some of your questions/comments because I don't want to spoil anything, but I've addressed a few things that I can:

1) Harry didn't bother building his own Stargate because he had no need to - he would have, of course, if it turned out there wasn't a Gate available.

2) Harry has a few ZPMs since they were in Merlin's vault (as mentioned in the prologue). They're the odd crystals that he tried to stick into the Repository hoping it might be a key of some sort. He carries everything from Merlin's vault in a bewitched trunk in his mokeskin pouch, so despite not being aware that Atlantis's powers are depleted, none of them will be stranded in Atlantis and Atlantis's shields won't be failing.

3) Regarding the special Time-Jumper that Janus built, it's no longer in Atlantis to be found - after Elizabeth's appearance in the past, the Lantean Council banned time travel research so it was destroyed.

4) Russians actually don't know about the Stargate program yet - it's not until they recover the Stargate from the ocean floor after the episodes Nemesis/Small Victories that Colonel Maybourne helps them set up their own program. As for where we are in the timeline: this chapter takes place during the episode Shades of Grey (season 3).

5) Harry has a functioning DHD so his Gate is the primary one. He's altered it though so that his Gate can only be used by him - similar to how the Russians were able to have their own secret Stargate program by disconnecting the Gate from their DHD when they weren't using it. Except in Harry's case, his Gate remains connected to the DHD but is always "offline" unless 1) his DHD is used to create the wormhole or 2) Harry sends a spell from his wand. When Harry's Stargate receives a spell from his wand via an incoming wormhole, it becomes the primary Gate and allows a connection to form. But if it doesn't receive the signal, Harry's Gate acts as though it's offline, allowing the Gate at the SGC to become the primary one.

As for the comment that it is arrogant of Harry and the others to dictate who can use the Alteran technology because of their heritage - they're not doing anything that the SGC aren't doing themselves. Frankly they know the magical world isn't ready to hear that they're descended from aliens and that their planet is embroiled in a war. Harry, thanks to the Repository in his head, is light years ahead of everyone on the planet in terms of technological know-how, so obviously he's going to take charge - and he's essentially been chosen to do so by Merlin himself. And Harry's not about to let just anyone have access to something that could wreak devastating havoc - he's going to entrust the ships to people he can trust, those who have stood by him and have proven themselves. I hope that makes sense to you.

Hope you enjoy the chapter and please don't forget to review!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Despite some reservations shown the night before, everyone showed up at Number 12 Grimmauld Place the next morning, a bag or a trunk in hand. They also brought food, potions, broomsticks, and even games. Oliver, of course, brought along Quidditch equipment, despite Harry's repeated warnings that the City was at the bottom of the ocean.

When they arrived at Merlin's vault, they gathered around the strange device that Harry had used to activate the Stargate.

"What is this thing, Harry?" Dean asked, examining the symbols closely.

"It's called a clavis; Muggles call it the DHD, the dial home device. It's like a Muggle phone – there are thousands of different combinations for phone numbers, but you have to dial them in the right order to call the person you want."

Hermione looked fascinated. "Did you take this from the Muggles too?"

Harry nodded. "It was out of power so I'm using a Potentia."

The large translucent group of crystals was eyed, but most returned their gazes to the Stargate or the clavis. Only Hermione examined the Potentia more closely.

"How does it work?"

Harry tried to explain, but Hermione had stopped Muggle schooling when she was eleven, and so despite her best efforts, she had trouble understanding even the most basic explanation. She got the gist but not a true understanding of how the pocket of subspace-time was created and zero point energy was extracted. Hermione huffed in frustration, wishing she could have kept even a little bit of the knowledge from the Repository. She forlornly eyed the Repository on the wall, but knew better than to risk using it.

"Alright guys, I'm going to transport us and the Stargate to somewhere we'll be able to land the Gateships. Cast Disillusionment Charms on yourselves – there might be Muggles in the area," Harry warned, before Disillusioning the Gate and the clavis. Soon everyone followed suit, and Harry beamed them all to the seaside where he and Dumbledore had gone in his sixth year to search for Slytherin's locket.

As they spread out and began to cast Charms to hide them from both Muggles and wizards alike, Harry set up the Stargate.

"Where are we?" Neville asked Harry, glancing at the churning sea and jagged rocks below and hurriedly stepping back from the edge of the cliff.

"I'm not sure," Harry truthfully replied. He never did get the exact location from Dumbledore after all.

"All set?" he asked when Hermione appeared beside him.

At her nod, Harry cast several additional spells with the Elder Wand just in case, since everything had to remain hidden until they were back.

"Let's get going." Harry dialled the Atlantis Gate address, and this time, everyone was prepared for the violent burst of energy from the Stargate.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," George commented.

"I'm still trying to accept that we're not fully human," Neville murmured, and there were various noises of agreement.

"Explains a lot though, doesn't it?" Dean said, before looking at the Stargate. He gulped.

"Are we ready?" asked Harry, stepping towards the platform.

Most looked rather queasy and unsure. "You don't have to come," Harry offered, and he thought some – like Alicia – were seriously considering it.

"And give up the chance to see the City of Atlantis?" Hermione said as though it was the most ridiculous idea she'd ever heard.

Oliver stepped up. "Hermione's right. Besides, it's only for a week, yeah?"

Harry tried to reassure them as he waved them to move forward. "It doesn't hurt or anything, so just walk normally through it," he advised.

Ron stared at the huge Gate before stepping forward. "Here goes nothing." Once Ron disappeared through the event horizon, George quickly followed, pulling Angelina after him, and soon the rest were gone. Harry eagerly walked through, looking forward to finally seeing the City of their ancestors.

* * *

Harry's first glance of Atlantis was of a large elegant hall, with a staircase in front and hallways to either side. As the Gate shut down behind him, Harry moved forward, joining his friends in admiring the City.

With every step they took, more lights turned on, and Harry could see the writing on the staircase. Hermione spotted Harry stepping back and joined him. She tried to see what he was looking at, but all she could see were weird blocky shapes. Hermione didn't think it was for decorative purposes since it was too uneven, but she couldn't see what else it could be. Realizing that Harry seemed to be reading it somehow, she wondered how that could possibly be a language.

"Are you reading that? What's it say?"

"It's a welcome, a greeting," Harry replied, somehow feeling like he was home. It was the same feeling he'd gotten the first time he'd seen Hogwarts, and that he felt it in Atlantis seemed to be a good omen.

Harry looked around and saw a mixture of excitement and wariness. Few, like George, were plainly itching to explore, while the others were clearly reluctant to move about.

"Listen, I know some of you want to look around, but the Ancients experimented with some... questionable things near the end, dangerous things, and I don't know where they are. So for now, let's just stick to this immediate area. There should be rooms just around here," Harry pointed at a hallway on the left. "So pick the ones you want."

Some of the rooms were larger than others, and most opted to share rather than sleep alone. There were some sofas and chairs along the hallways that they quickly made good use of, and Neville hurriedly gathered as many of the dead plants as he could, to see if there was anything special about them and whether or not they could be revived. Oliver was already trying to form Quidditch teams for a quick pick-up game, readily joined by almost everyone. Harry, one of the few who had decided on a single room, quickly unpacked and left them to it, instead heading for the stairs to the command centre. He had the map of Atlantis on a clear screen behind the consoles and was examining its systems when everyone eventually joined him.

"We found some kind of a meeting room on this floor – I think it'll make a good dining room," Ron mentioned.

"The doors opened and the lights came on ahead as we moved like they were sensing us!" Oliver added in amazement.

"Is that Atlantis?" Hermione asked, stepping up to the screen. "It looks like a snowflake."

Seamus scoffed. "A snowflake? No, more like a giant octopus, with only six arms!"

Harry stifled a grin. "We're in the centre right now, the tallest tower."

Angelina looked at the image of Atlantis on the screen. "It must look amazing when it's not underwater."

"Unfortunately we can't risk raising the City, but I'll take you guys somewhere really neat in a moment that I think will make up for that." Harry just smiled mysteriously at the questioning and anticipatory looks he received.

"Anyway, from what I can gather," he continued, "Everything we need is in this tower, and it's completely safe here. I can't say the same for anywhere else in the City, so no wandering around, all right? You may activate systems without meaning to, and that could be disastrous."

"Er Harry," Neville interrupted him, pointing at the screen, "Why is that area blinking?"

"That's strange," Harry mumbled. "There's a sudden worrying drain of power to that spot."

Harry rearranged a few control crystals to stop the drain before straightening up. He needed to check that out. But first... "Alright guys, if you want to see something really neat, follow me."

"Merlin," Katie swore as she looked out through the huge windows. She had never seen anything like it. Katie could see the ocean floor and parts of the large City they were in. Even under water the City looked majestic. Muggle buildings were nothing to this.

"We really are at the bottom of an ocean, aren't we?" Hermione marvelled. "Guess there was something to the Muggle legend of the City of Atlantis after all."

"Feel free to look around here. I'm just going to go check out that odd anomaly from earlier."

"I'll come with you," Ron hurriedly said. He knew they were safe behind the shields that held back the water, but Ron still felt queasy looking at it. The rest were too busy looking out the windows to pay them any mind.

* * *

Harry led Ron to what looked like a closet.

"Mate, why are we going into a closet?"

"Watch," Harry said, and when they entered, the back panel slid open, showing a map of Atlantis. At Harry's touch, they were transported to the area Harry had selected.

Leaving Ron to gawk at the Ancient version of the lift, Harry made a quick stop to put in a new Potentia, and then returned to the lift to head towards the research lab where the power drain had occurred. What he saw made him stop in his tracks.

"Mate, slow down- whoa."

They both stared at the old woman, clearly in some sort of stasis.

"Is that... an Ancient?" Ron quietly asked, his voice conveying both awe and discomfort.

"No." Harry didn't know how, but he knew the old woman was not an Alteran. "She's human."

Ron blanched. "A Muggle?"

"Don't know." Harry took a deep breath and stepped towards the controls. He hesitated briefly before reprogramming it so the old woman would remain in the pod. There was a chance she could die before he returned to Atlantis, but he had no time now to figure out what she was doing here. And for all Harry knew, she could be an enemy that the Ancients had trapped before they fled to Earth. It was highly unlikely, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Let's go, Ron. It's a good time for lunch, I think."

* * *

They set up the meeting room as their dining room since the tables and chairs were already conveniently arranged. They transfigured themselves a long table, large enough to hold all of their prepared meals, and set it against the far wall.

There was a wide variety, especially of Muggle foods, as many of them had opted to bring take-aways from their favourite Muggle restaurants. It was especially comical to watch the pure-bloods who had never had anything like pizza or curry before try them; Ron's face turned as red as his hair from the spiciness of the curry.

When Ron finished guzzling the entire container of pumpkin juice, Harry mentioned, "I figured we could check out the ships after we finish eating. They're in the hangar right above the Gate, which makes sense since they're meant to travel through them."

It took barely 15 minutes until everyone was finished, most simply devouring the meal, too excited about flying a spaceship. Oliver, in particular, gave Ron a run for his money in disgusting eating habits, chewing his food while babbling excitedly all the while about possible top speeds the ships could go. Couple of them, including Neville, hardly ate a thing, too worried and feeling queasy to eat much.

The hangar was a large, two-level room, with Gateships on both levels. The ships themselves were roughly cylindrical, though slightly angled in the front and the rear. It didn't look like much – it was fairly small, in fact – but Harry knew the cloaking technology and the Alteran weapons would make all the necessary difference.

Harry opened the rear door of one of the ships and entered. There was plenty of room to hold everyone, and as Harry took a seat in the front, Ron, Hermione and Neville joined him, sitting in the other chairs. The rest either sat in the back or stood, examining the consoles and the display window.

With a mental command, Harry started the engines and flew it towards the exit into the Gateroom. To Harry, it was just like the first time he'd been on a broom – flying the ship came as naturally to him as breathing. Although he didn't get the same thrill that being on a broom gave him – there was no wind in his hair or the feeling of freedom that came from being in the air with nothing but a broomstick – Harry still found it enjoyable.

As they descended, Hermione looked at Harry, but couldn't figure out how he was flying the ship since he wasn't even touching the control sticks.

"How are you flying the ship without using the controls, Harry?"

"The ship's technology uses a neural interface, so all I have to do is think about what I want the ship to do. You can use the control sticks, but I figured I'd try it this way."

"Wicked," Ron, George and Oliver said together.

Harry smoothly landed the ship in front of the Stargate, and rather than going through the Gate – as Hermione was clearly afraid he was going to do – he opened the door so that everyone could get out.

"You can each try to fly the ship, and I'll be beside you just in case. We won't do anything too big the first time – just make the ship hover then fly up to the hangar, circle the area once, before moving back down to the Gate room."

Unfortunately, not all of them were as natural a flyer as Harry. Many of them were pure-bloods who had never seen anything even remotely like a flying spaceship, and of those familiar with Muggle joysticks, only Dean had a limited experience using them. So Harry, who sat beside them as they tried to pilot the ship, had to intervene on several occasions to ensure they wouldn't crash and damage either Atlantis or the ship. Ron, who had gone first, almost hit the Stargate and then the command center, and if Harry hadn't stopped the ship, they would have gone straight through the ceiling of the hangar.

"Oi!" George called out when Ron exited the ship, "Nice flying!"

Ron turned as red as his hair. "What, think you can do better?"

"Watch and learn, brother mine," George bragged.

Unfortunately for George, he was little better than Ron. His attempt to fly in a circle resulted in the ship almost ramming into a pillar; only Harry's quick reflexes stopped the ship from crashing into anything. And flying by mental interface was no easier, as Luna discovered. She accidentally fired weapons instead of getting the ship to hover; fortunately, Harry managed to shut it down before it destroyed anything.

After watching one almost-wreck after another, Hermione was too scared to do more than barely move the controls despite Harry's reassurances that she wasn't going to break them, and Neville, who had at first accidentally jerked the controls too hard causing the ship to roll sideways and almost crash into the staircase (and would have had Harry not taken control of the ship), refused to do anything afterwards but twitch at the controls.

It was a dejected lot that gathered for dinner that evening.

"Cheer up you lot," Oliver cajoled as he heaped on his dinner plate the curry that he'd taken a liking to. "It's only the first day, and Harry did say we should prepare to be here a week."

Ron grumbled. "Easy for you to say; you got the hang of it by the end."

"I do fly for a living, you know," Oliver reminded him. "Besides, I still have more to learn."

"Oliver's right," Harry reassured them. "I chose you guys because I know you can fly. Most of you were on the Quidditch team, and Luna, Hermione and Neville, you guys have experience flying on Thestrals, remember? I have full confidence that before the week is over, you'll be able to fly the ships perfectly."

And they did just that. By the end of the following day, everyone was able to fly the ship and make it hover. And there were no mishaps, either – well, except for one, but that was an accident.

("I did it, Harry, I did it!" Neville yelled excitedly as he got the ship to fly up to the hangar.

"The controls! Don't let go of the controls, Neville!" Harry cried out.

Neville's eyes widened and he desperately reached for the controls; unfortunately, they were already falling back tail first. Thankfully, Harry was able to land the ship rather than have it crash into the Gate room.)

So after dinner, Harry flew them all through the Stargate to one of the worlds long abandoned by the Wraith.

"See, the actual travel through the wormhole is taken care of by the Stargate itself; all you have to do is fly the ship through the ring. Just make sure you retract the pods before you go through because you'll get stuck otherwise."

Harry demonstrated it once more on the way back to Atlantis. The next morning after breakfast, they each took turns flying through the Atlantis Gate and back. Nerves were clearly seen, most flying very slowly to avoid getting stuck or hitting the Gate. Although everyone made it through, only Oliver had something even remotely close to Harry's instinctual abilities at piloting the Gateship.

That evening, Harry tried to explain how he flew the ship. "It's like casting a nonverbal spell or flying on a broom – you need to concentrate and focus on what you want. You focus on wanting the ship to fly, to speed up or slow down, to turn or go straight. And when you're about to go through the Gate, you think about wanting to retract the pods so it won't get stuck."

A few, like Alicia, looked thoughtful, but several others - like Seamus - looked sceptical or disgruntled.

"You just need to practice – remember, this is only our third day at this," Harry reminded them all.

The next day, Harry was confident Oliver could handle himself, and so set him to teach some of the others to fly through the Gate. Harry took the more promising pilots and set them on improving their skills – making sharper turns, performing evasive manoeuvres, and not slowing down as much when traveling through the Gate.

In actuality they were unlikely to need the last skill, but Harry preferred to have all the bases covered. He even allowed them to test the weapons, although of course Harry prevented them – nicknamed by Seamus as squid fire – from actually causing damage.

By the end of the fifth day, everyone could pilot the ships well enough that Harry was comfortable letting them pilot a ship on their own. The next day, they spent hours flying, and on their last night in Atlantis, they celebrated by trying to eat all of the remaining food, and Harry cracked open the Butterbeers and Firewhiskeys he'd brought but had hidden from them all. They played games – even Quidditch, although without the Snitch since it would be nearly impossible to find in Atlantis – and tipsily stumbled into bed.

The following morning – or rather early afternoon – they all gathered their things. Neville of course insisted on bringing the dead plants home and loaded them onto his ship. With Oliver in the lead, Harry dialled the Gate to take them back to Earth – casting _Expelliarmus_ at the wormhole so that they would connect to his Gate rather than the one at SGC. With a last fond look at the Ancient City, Harry set Atlantis to go back into hibernation and flew through the Gate. He soon saw the familiar blue skies and ocean of Earth.

What he did not expect to see was a small naked alien that looked remarkably like one of the Roswell Greys, standing right outside the wards.


	5. Chapter 4

Thank you so much! Seriously, every time I check my email and find another alert about a review, a new story follower, or that it has been favorited, I smile for days!

A quick note about why everyone seems to know about the Elder Wand - in _Deathly Hallows_, Harry and Voldemort talk about it while they're having their final showdown in front of everyone present. So once the Final Battle is done, it made sense to me that the word would spread until everyone in the wizarding world knew that Harry Potter was the master of the Deathstick. And naturally, any wizard or witch who would want the power for themselves would then attempt to take it from Harry.

Some of the answers to your questions are in this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

"Harry? What do we do?" came Hermione's panicked voice through the communicator.

Harry signalled all of them to cloak. "The wards are still intact so I don't think we were seen," he reassured them.

"Then how did that thing know we're here?" Ron asked, sounding flustered.

"I'm going to go find out. Stay calm," Harry said as he landed his ship near the Gate.

Harry approached the small, skinny alien, who must have been at least 2 feet shorter than Harry. He – Harry assumed it was a he, although Harry could be wrong on that point since the alien had no genitals – was staring at where the Stargate was, although the somewhat quizzical expression on his face – also a guess from the tilted head, since again Harry couldn't really tell – indicated he couldn't see it. The alien had black eyes with no pupils, a bulbous head with no hair or a nose or lips, unfortunately reminding Harry of Voldemort, although the alien didn't look menacing at all – possibly because he was so short and fragile-looking. The webbed toes were bare, and his fingers – of which there were only 4 in each hand – held a device that the alien was using, Harry guessed, to determine what was behind their wards.

Harry was surprised no one else had stumbled upon the alien since he was just standing there for who knew how long. That he was not repelled away by the wards was worrying. Harry quickly transfigured his clothes into a robe and stepped outside the wards.

"Hello," Harry greeted the alien, before wondering if perhaps he should try speaking in Ancient.

The alien's eyes slowly blinked when Harry seemed to appear out of nowhere, which Harry thought might indicate surprise. The alien gamely returned the greeting.

"Greetings. I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet."

Harry's eyes widened. He knew of the Asgard, of course, but hadn't realized _this_ is what they looked like. Harry wondered if the reason the story of the Roswell Greys existed was because an Asgard had introduced themselves to some of the Muggles in America – although why, he had no idea.

"Pleased to meet you, Thor."

"Who are you? Where are you from and why are you here?"

"What makes you think I am not from Earth?"

"The Asgard have studied the Tau'ri closely. The level of technology you have used is far beyond that of the humans of this planet. Even my ship, the _Biliskner_, cannot locate the Stargate you have cloaked."

Harry couldn't believe their luck. If an Asgard ship couldn't penetrate their wards, then the wizarding world was safe from discovery. That Thor believed they were aliens was just icing on the cake.

There was just the matter of... "How do you know the Stargate is here if your ship's sensors cannot detect its presence?"

"I was attempting to come through the Stargate to speak with the Tau'ri, but failed. After determining their Stargate had not been active, I attempted to locate the active Stargate, although it was hidden from my ship's sensors. The Asgard have visited this world often. I was able to conclude that this area was under a cloak, since it was invisible to my ship's sensors yet had never been so previously." Thor paused before looking directly at Harry, somehow conveying firm intent. "Who are you?"

Harry had to do some fast thinking. He couldn't use his real name, but thought Latin translations might do the trick. "I am Henrici, the leader of the Magus Praesidium. You can call me Harry. I am glad to finally meet a member of the Asgard race. It has been some 10,000 years since my ancestors came across your kind."

Thor stared at Harry unblinkingly for a long moment before finally speaking. "You speak of the Ancients."

At Harry's nod, Thor slowly blinked. "It is great to meet a descendant of the Ancients. Do you perhaps possess all the knowledge of your ancestors?"

Harry paused before responding. "I do. Why do you want to know that?"

"Our scientists long ago extracted parts of the Ancient Library of Knowledge and learned much from it. But we have been studying it for as long as I can remember and we have barely scratched the surface. That you possess the knowledge of the entire Library is great news to not only the Asgard, who hope to learn much, but the entire galaxy, who are under the threat of the Goa'uld."

Harry frowned at that reminder. "Yes, I wondered why these Goa'uld became such a threat in this galaxy, considering the superiority of your technology."

Thor emitted a tiny, barely heard sigh. "We are not proud of the fact that we have been forced to ignore the situation as long as we have. But you must understand, there are other concerns for the Asgard. We have an enemy in our home galaxy that is far worse than the Goa'uld, which requires the vast majority of the Asgard fleet to engage. It is my hope that you would be able to assist us in this battle, for we are losing."

Harry lightly squeezed Thor's shoulder in comfort and ignored the Asgard's surprise. "I would be more than happy to share whatever knowledge I possess with the Asgard. And perhaps you could also help me. I have smaller ships that the Ancients used, which will be used by my people to assist in protecting this planet, but a larger ship, one made for battle, needs to be built. Perhaps you could provide us with a site and the materials to build such a ship."

"I will need to speak to the Asgard High Council," Thor replied. "However, I am certain the Council will gladly offer whatever assistance we can."

Thor handed Harry an Asgard communication stone, which was similar in shape to DOBBY but smaller, so that they could contact each other.

"Unfortunately this seems to be blocked by our shields," Harry said, once he realized there was some kind of interference. "I will fix it to allow communications between us," he promised.

Before Thor could beam himself back to his ship, Harry stopped him. "I would ask, Thor, that you not reveal our existence to the Tau'ri. We will do so in our own time, but for now we wish to remain unacknowledged."

Once Thor nodded in agreement and disappeared back to his ship, Harry found himself surrounded by his friends, all of them wishing to know who the alien was and what it wanted.

"It looked just like those aliens from the Muggle abduction stories!" Dean exclaimed.

Harry laughed at their queasy and excited faces, before launching into an explanation about the Asgard and the Alliance of Four Great Races that had once existed.

* * *

"Everything go alright?" Kingsley asked Ron, Hermione and Harry once the wards were up.

Harry nodded and reached for his cup of tea. "We brought back 12 ships, which will be more than enough to protect the planet, and everyone knows how to fly them. I'll create more squids – the weapons that the ships use – just in case. Right now we're trying to figure out where to store the ships so it's convenient for everyone but still easily hidden."

"I may have a solution to that," Hermione offered. "We could buy a large warehouse or a hangar somewhere and put it all under the Fidelius Charm. That way all the ships are in one location and Harry can actually have a place to work on them."

"It'll be loads better than the Forest of Dean at any rate," Ron commented.

Harry and Kingsley both agreed to the plan, and Hermione promised to get it all arranged as soon as possible.

"Kingsley, I'll need to take a leave of absence," Harry said next with a sigh. "There's simply too much to do and not enough time. Creating more squids is going to be incredibly taxing, and on top of that I have to figure out how to add shielding capabilities to the ships while they are still invisible. I have no idea how effective they'll be against the Goa'uld weapons and I have no way of safely testing them, which means I'll have to add as many runes and enchantments as I can just in case – all of which will take time, and I can't be at the Ministry for most of the day and expect to get all of that done."

Kingsley was about to agree when something Harry said caught his attention. "Exactly how is it that you're able to use magic around all these machines?" he asked, looking genuinely interested. "Is it because they're so advanced?"

"Not exactly. I mean yes, Muggle technology doesn't work with magic because the energies we generate and use interfere with their electronics, and the more advanced races like the Asgard have the means to shield their equipment from such interferences. But the magic I use with Ancient technology is runes, which is different from spells."

Ron had a perplexed expression on his face. "But it's not. Runic magic is the basis for our spells. They're just rarely used because they require so much more effort than spells for nearly the same result."

"That's true, but Harry is also right," Hermione lectured. "Runic magic _is_ different from spells. Spells depend on the strength of the caster, emotions, familiarity, and a whole host of other factors. A person could change the strength of a spell, for example. The same can't be done with runic magic. Runes, once powered, remain constant, until the magic powering it is drained."

"Yeah, but that's not really why," Harry said. "It's true that magical output is constant when runes are used, which makes it easier to predict how much shielding is required to still allow the technology to function. But that's not what I was talking about. Merlin created much of our runic magic – at least the ones we still use. He's not credited for them of course, since much of the history of Merlin has become muddled over time, but he based these runes on Ancients' powers and technology. That's why Hogwarts, or anywhere that uses these runes, can remain hidden from the Muggles and their satellites. Even the Asgard, one of the most advanced races in the galaxy, can't see through Ancient cloaking technology. Only the Ancients or their descendants can, which is why Squibs can see Hogwarts, even though they can't see purely magical beings like the Dementors."

"That's fascinating!" Hermione exclaimed. "So these devices you're building that uses Alteran power sources instead of magic to power the runes, they can be used by Squibs?"

Harry nodded. "Squibs can use any of the Alteran devices that we can. But combining runes and Ancient technology isn't easy. Runes are supposed to be maintained by magic, so trying to keep them charged by power crystals instead requires a lot of time and effort. It took me months to create DOBBY. I probably have less than half that to fix up these ships, so I need as much time as I can get."

Kingsley sat back. "Of course I'll grant you leave for as long as you need, although how I'm going to explain and justify that, I have no idea."

Ron, whose eyes had glazed over during the discussion, perked up. "You could always tell them the truth, that Harry is working to defend our world from aliens," he said, grinning widely.

Harry scowled. "Funny. Try not to land me in St. Mungo's, alright Kingsley?"

"Have you got the Asgard communication stone working?" Hermione asked.

"Not yet, but I will. I need to speak with their High Council to see whether they've agreed to help us build a warship."

There was a beep from Kingsley's desk. "Minister? You have a meeting with the Department Heads in 15 minutes," came Percy's voice.

"Keep me informed, alright?"

The trio nodded and left the Minister's office.

* * *

It took only a few days before Harry's leave of absence was leaked to the _Daily Prophet_, though naturally they printed it as Harry having quit the Aurors. As expected the outcry was enormous, which, as Ron pointed out, was ridiculous, seeing as there hadn't been any Dark wizard activity in months. In fact, many of those who had opted to become Aurors immediately following the Final Battle of Hogwarts – like Neville – were no longer working for the Ministry. Nevertheless, Kingsley was forced to release a statement that essentially reassured the wizarding public that Harry Potter was still an Auror, just taking a much-deserved break. Harry himself largely remained mum on the subject, too busy with more important things to worry over public opinion.

However, when weeks had gone by and Harry had still not returned to the Ministry – had in fact not been seen at all – rumours ran so rampant that Kingsley personally came to the hangar by the private airfield they had bought and hidden, to speak with Harry.

"You need to say something," he told Harry, who was panting in exhaustion after creating dozens of squids using the molecular constructor. It was handy since it required no raw materials – seeing as Harry didn't have any – but it took a lot out of him.

Harry took a large gulp of water before turning to Kingsley. "What do you want me to say? I can't come back yet – I haven't finished adjusting the ships."

"Just release a statement to the press; hopefully that'll calm them down." Kingsley sighed. "Say you've decided to travel but that you'll eventually return."

Harry shrugged, barely moving his shoulders. His eyes were already drooping closed. "Whatever you say. Sorry Kingsley but I need to sleep," Harry mumbled.

Kingsley stood up. "You definitely look like you could use it. I'll owl you later with the details."

Harry just curled up on the sofa. He was asleep before Kingsley Apparated out of the hangar.

* * *

"Hey Harry!" came Neville's greeting. He looked around the hangar, but didn't see Harry anywhere. He headed towards the ship Harry had been tinkering with. "Harry? You in here somewhere?"

Harry gave a grunt of acknowledgement as he installed the final set of the power crystals to the rune matrix that should allow whatever was within its range – the ship, in this case – to have shielding and transporting capabilities. Harry would have preferred to use the Potentia, but the ship was not designed for that, and it would have taken even longer for him to redesign the Gateship systems to use a Potentia than to add a couple of crystal-powered runes.

When the crystals lit up and did not explode, Harry let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Is it done then?"

"Yup. Now I just have to do the same thing to all the other ships."

Neville looked at Harry sympathetically. He would have offered to help, but he knew it was pointless for him to do so. None of them had any idea how anything worked, and the last time Neville had tried, he had destroyed the control console and almost caused the ship to explode. Even Hermione with her knowledge of runes couldn't do much since the runes had to be linked to the power crystals as they were being drawn, and that required mental abilities that Hermione didn't have.

"Well, I brought lunch?" Neville offered, holding up a brown paper bag. "Gran and I were in Muggle London and I figured you hadn't had a chance to eat anything yet. It's chicken fajitas."

Neville had become a huge fan of Muggle foods after their trip to Atlantis and had introduced his grandmother to it. They frequently ate out when Neville dropped by for a visit, and this time they went to a Mexican place Dean had recommended.

"So I heard your meeting with the Asgard High Council went well?"

Harry nodded as he scarfed down the food. "They were quite anxious to meet with me, and it's no wonder. Their enemies, the Replicators, are... something else. They're mechanical bugs, essentially, but so advanced and their ability to learn is astronomical. They infest the Asgard ships and take it over, and then actually eat the ships to replicate themselves. Thankfully their capital planet, Othala, is safe, but the Asgard are losing the war. I'm going to help them in any way I can, and in return they offered to help me build a battleship."

"They kinda creep me out," Neville sheepishly admitted. "They look like demented house-elves."

Harry laughed. "I guess they do, in a way. I thought Thor looked like a friendlier, less creepy version of Voldemort."

Neville shivered at that. "Dean showed me pictures and alien abduction stories from a place called Roswell in America. They look really similar to Thor."

"Yeah, I wonder what happened there..."

"Maybe the Asgard have kidnapped humans before?"

Harry looked doubtful. "For what reason? They're a friendly race. They protect other worlds from the Goa'uld, and the humans in those worlds worship the Asgard. If they really wanted to kidnap humans, they would have plenty of other options that are far easier."

"True," Neville conceded.

"Well, time to get back to work. Thanks for the lunch!"

* * *

Tired of using the molecular constructor for everything he needed, Harry was about to travel to Atlantis to see if there might be any raw materials or devices that could help him build things when an otter Patronus appeared.

"Harry," came Hermione's voice, "I really hope you haven't left for Atlantis yet. Thor tried to contact you through the communicator but I had to Silence it because I was over at the Burrow. I tried to contact Thor just now but he didn't respond. I've left the communicator on your kitchen table."

Harry swore as he shut down the Gate and hurried home. He had left the communicator behind with Hermione because he'd been about to travel to the Pegasus Galaxy and Harry had thought nothing pressing would happen for a few hours. Clearly he'd been wrong.

Harry tried to contact Thor again but when that failed, he grabbed the communicator and returned to the hangar. Greeted by the familiar gleam of the Stargate, Harry hurriedly pressed the Gate address of the meeting chamber within the Gladsheim in Othala, and stepped through.

Harry jogged down the steps until he was met with a few of the Asgard. "Can you tell me where Thor is? He tried to contact me earlier."

One of the Asgard stepped forward. "You are Harry, the descendant of the Ancients?" At Harry's nod, he said, "Thor is on his ship the _Biliskner_, which has unfortunately been infested with the Replicators."

Harry's eyes widened at the dire news. "Can you transport me onto his ship?"

"It is not wise," another declared. "Thor will have to destroy the _Biliskner_, and should you go, you will also die."

"Thor asked for my assistance, and I intend to give him tha-" Harry was saying when a voice suddenly came through the communicator.

"Hello? Is this Henrici?"

"Yes," Harry answered. "Who is this? Where's Thor?"

"My name is Major Samantha Carter, a friend of Thor's, and I've been told by Thor to contact you."

"Where is the _Biliskner_ now, Major?"

"On orbit around our planet, Earth."

Harry created the wormhole back to Earth. "I'll be there shortly," Harry announced as he shot off a spell before running through the Gate. He fired up his Gateship to fly out into space. Spotting the_ Biliskner_, Harry beamed himself on board.

"Hello? Thor? Major?" Harry called out, looking around the seemingly empty ship. He was about to call out again when he heard mechanical whirring that was growing louder. Harry had just made himself invisible when dozens of Replicators quickly hurried towards him.

Harry levitated himself above them, though he was careful to not touch either the walls or the ceiling, seeing as these bugs could climb them, and examined them as closely as he dared. They were purplish, with four mechanical legs and two wings. Although Harry had known the Replicators ate ships so that they could self-replicate, the sight of them actually eating the _Biliskner_ was seriously creepy.

Harry used his super-hearing to navigate himself towards where Thor and SG-1 were located, and entered. At the sound of the door opening, three people whipped around and aimed weapons at him, though they grew puzzled when they didn't see anyone.

Harry made himself visible. "You called for me?" Spotting Thor, Harry rushed forward, ignoring the guns trained on him. "Thor! Are you alright?"

"I am dying, Harry," Thor rasped.

Harry placed his hands on Thor and concentrated. A light engulfed Thor and when it receded, Thor blinked and sat up, looking stunned – or as stunned as an Asgard could look – while Harry panted, exhausted, gripping the pod tightly to prevent himself from falling to the ground.

"You should not have wasted your energy healing me, Harry," Thor said worriedly as Harry turned decidedly paler. "This stasis pod would have kept me alive."

"I'll be alright," Harry reassured him before fumbling with the mokeskin pouch around his neck. To the amazement of SG-1, Harry's entire arm literally disappeared through the mouth of the small pouch.

"What's next, pulling a rabbit out of a pouch?" Jack stage whispered to no one in particular.

Harry ignored him as he searched for the Strengthening Solution. He downed it in one go, hiding his grimace at the taste. He Vanished the potions vial before turning to face Thor, his color rapidly returning to normal. "So, Replicators?"

"Yes. It is good of you to come, for we need your help. The Replicators have infested this ship, and we must destroy it before they can land on Earth."

"Is there no way to eliminate the Replicators without destroying the _Biliskner_?"

"There is simply not enough time."

Harry nodded. "We'll use my Gateship then. I'll transport us onboard and then fire on the _Biliskner_ to destroy it."

"The weapons you have are likely insufficient," Thor warned.

"Not if the _Biliskner_'s shields are down," Harry stated, before transporting SG-1 and Thor to his ship. Harry then focused, trying to use psychokinesis to destroy the _Biliskner_'s shield generator. He'd fiddled with that ability a little, but Harry had never tried something in so large a scale. Harry could hear the Replicators swarming to his location, likely attracted to the energy of the beam transporter, but tried to block it all out. Just when Harry thought he wouldn't be able to do so, Harry felt the shield collapsing, and hurriedly beamed himself to his ship.

"Hang on," Harry warned them all before activating all the squid fires. They watched as the yellow streaks of light bombarded the _Biliskner_ from all sides, repeatedly attacking the ship until they had completely obliterated the _Biliskner_. Harry beamed whatever remained of the Replicators on board his ship as he flew them away from the explosion, to make sure none of them fell to Earth.

"What the hell?" came from Jack O'Neill before rapid gunfire ensued. "You could have warned us that you were bringing these things on board!"

"Would you rather I let it fall to your planet?" Harry asked, turning around to stare at three of the members of SG-1 – where Daniel Jackson was, Harry had no idea – and what remained of the Replicators, now merely scattered blocks.

"We are grateful for your help," Major Carter said, briefly looking to her superior before turning back to face Harry. "I am Samantha Carter, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill and Teal'c."

"I am Henrici, the leader of the Magus Praesidium. You may call me Harry."

"This is a sweet ride you have here," Jack said, looking around.

"How are you flying the ship?" Sam asked at the same time, since Harry hadn't even once touched the controls.

"Thank you, and I am flying the ship mentally."

"Whoa. That's... cool," Jack commented, before taking a seat behind Thor. "So how do you know Thor?"

"His ancestors and mine have been allies for thousands of years," Thor offered. "He will also not offer you any technology, O'Neill. He has, however, offered assistance against the Goa'uld."

"Sweet," Jack replied, sitting back and lacing his fingers behind his head, the very picture of relaxation. Somehow, Harry had thought Jack, being a Colonel in the Muggle military, would be more... staid, like Dawlish, rather than so... flippant.

"Yes, thank you," Sam added. "Uh, where exactly is the Magus Praesidium?" she asked, stumbling a little over the word.

"That's the name of the branch of our military, Major Carter, not our race."

"Rather young, aren't you?" Jack commented, before quickly adding, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, or anything."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at Jack before turning back to Sam. "Our ancestors are from Lantea in the Pegasus Galaxy, although they had previously lived in the Milky Way. It is for that reason my people and I are here. We will help defend your world and others like it from the Goa'uld."

"Harry, I must return to Othala," Thor interjected before anyone else could say anything.

"Yes, of course. I will see you soon." With that, Harry transported them all down to the Stargate in the SGC before flying back to the hangar.

* * *

Two things:

1) About the _Biliskner_'s cloak: The Asgard cloaking technology seems to be different from the Ancient's. In the episode _Nemesis_, the _Biliskner _is visible to SG-1 when they're on board, and Teal'c can still see the ship even when he's outside the _Biliskner_ to plant the bomb, yet the _Biliskner_ can't be detected by NORAD. So I'm going with the only explanation that makes sense considering all of the information the show has provided - that the Asgard use a special type of cloaking where the ship is visible up close but remain undetectable further away. We know the Asgard have the technology to render a person invisible (seen in the episode _Shades of Grey_), so presumably they could apply the same technology to their ships but have chosen not to, possibly because the superiority of their technology means the Asgard have no need for them.

2) The effort it takes to heal Thor: It seems to have taken Ayiana a lot of effort to heal the humans of the virus (seen in the episode _Frozen_), yet Rodney was able to heal Zelenka without obvious detriment (_Tao of Rodney_). So it seems to depend on how close to Ascension they are - the closer to Ascension one gets, the more powers develop and the easier they become to use. Because of that and the fact that Thor isn't human and Harry doesn't really understand Asgard physiology, it takes Harry a lot of energy and effort to heal Thor.


	6. Chapter 5

I'm so floored by all your responses!

A couple of replies:

1) About it having to be another wizard/witch that should be in stasis rather than Elizabeth in Atlantis: in my story, what happened was that Elizabeth irrevocably changed the future when she time travelled to the past. Her actions partly prompted Moros into creating Merlin's vault. He hadn't done so the first time around, meaning Harry never would have had the Repository in his head and everything that occurs in this story didn't happen the first go-around, and the SGA people would have been the first ones in Atlantis. However, because Elizabeth did travel back in time, she irrevocably altered the timeline, and so Harry and his friends were able to go to Atlantis first.

2) Harry may have the Repository in his head, but he doesn't know everything all the time - the information is in a sense slowly unfurling as time goes on. So when Seamus started calling the drones squid fires - because unlike Atlantis they do look like squids - the name kinda stuck. Harry didn't bother to correct them on the terminology because he's Harry, not an Alteran, and so he doesn't care. And they wouldn't have called them drones in any case, because that's a Muggle term and none of them would know of it. Squid fires do sound ridiculous, but the drones honestly look like them, and I imagine to a bunch of young witches and wizards, it would sound like the perfect name. As for Seamus's fascination with squids, there's a funny back-story in my head of him, rum, and the Giant Squid at Hogwarts.

3) About the melding of runes and technology: because Merlin created the runes based on Ascended powers and their technology, they can be used with Alteran tech. The runes, when drawn, normally take the energy from the person who draws them - in essence like spells, but much more costly. Harry, however, because of his near-Ascended status, can use his powers to force the rune to draw the energy from a power crystal instead. He built an array of them that's near the console, so that when one crystal runs out, it can be easily replaced. He has no way of checking or altering the strength of the shields, but there are a dozen of them in sequence so it won't result in an immediate failure of the shields if one crystal dies.

4) As for Harry using the Potentia for everything - the only thing he's using the Potentia for is to create wormholes to Pegasus and Ida galaxies. He thought about using it for the Gateships but decided not to, and all of his other "toys" are powered by smaller power crystals.

5) Harry did in fact replace a dead Potentia for a new one soon after he arrived in Atlantis - as I said in chapter 3, "Harry made a quick stop to put in a new Potentia, and then returned to the lift to head towards the research lab..." He didn't leave Atlantis with failing shields.

6) About the virus - I'm assuming that the reason the Ancients couldn't cure the virus was because they weren't near-Ascended at the time and didn't have healing powers. Perhaps a few of them were near-Ascended, but presumably there weren't enough of them to make it feasible to be able to heal every infected person.

A lot of the dialogue in this chapter come from the episode Small Victories. It won't be like this again, so apologies to those who dislike that sort of thing!

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"But how could these Replicators be such a threat? They're just machines, aren't they?" Hermione asked during the meeting with the MP – the Magus Praesidium. It was a mouthful, but rather apt, and certainly a step up from Dumbledore's Army. Harry had just finished updating them all with the progress he'd made with the ships – all of them now had shielding and transporting capabilities – and how the introduction with the Muggles from the SGC had gone. "Surely there are ways to destroy them. How were they made? Who created them?"

Harry shrugged. "The Asgard don't know. They found the bugs on an isolated planet in their home galaxy. Thor admitted that they were overconfident in their technology, which has proved to be their undoing. Anyway, they soon realized what a threat these Replicators posed, but by then it was already too late. The Replicators have a tremendous capacity to learn, and they also adapt extremely quickly. They've used every method and technology the Asgard have developed to fight them to their advantage. They've become a plague in the Ida Galaxy, and they cannot be allowed to infest here."

"First the Goa'uld, and now these Replicators?" Ron groaned.

"Don't forget the Wraith," Katie added glumly.

"This is never going to be over, innit?" Seamus despaired.

"Don't worry," Harry reassured them. "I'm not telling you all this because I want you to fight; I'm just letting you all know, that's all. I'm going to help the Asgard with their Replicator problem to hopefully destroy them before they have a chance to infest our galaxy. After that they'll help us deal with the Goa'uld. None of you have to worry about any of this unless Earth is in jeopardy, and that's not likely to happen. So relax, okay?"

Neville frowned. "You don't mean to do this all alone, Harry?"

Harry looked away and shrugged. "I am the one with the Ancient Repository in my head. Besides, I won't be alone – the Asgard will help."

"Harry," said Hermione, giving his hand a comforting squeeze, "We want to help you too."

Harry smiled fondly at them. "I know, and it means a lot. I'll let you know if I need help, I promise."

"You'd better," George mockingly threatened. "We know where you live."

With that, the meeting was concluded and everyone began to Apparate away. Harry was about to do the same when the Asgard communicator beeped.

When nothing else came through, Harry said, "Hello? Thor?" but there was no response. Harry used the _Kreacher_ – the ship that had been designated as his – to scan for an Asgard vessel, but there were no ships – cloaked or otherwise – near Earth.

"That's strange," Harry muttered to himself. He wondered if he was being paranoid as he set the ship to scan for Asgard life signs on Earth. But it wasn't like the Asgard to activate the communicator and not say anything. His eyebrow rose in surprise when the ship detected an Asgard presence in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck in indecision. It seemed like he was being signalled somehow, but if he was wrong – if it was, however highly unlikely, a simple glitch – he'd be intruding on a top-secret Muggle military base and drawing further attention to himself. Still, he had to check it out just in case the Asgard needed help.

Making sure he had his mokeskin pouch and DOBBY, Harry sent a quick Patronus message to Hermione and Kingsley before transfiguring his clothes into a white robe and beaming himself to the Gate at the SGC.

Harry appeared in a beam of bright light to the sight of Muggles aiming their guns at him. Knowing DOBBY would protect him from any bullets, Harry nonchalantly looked around the Gate room.

Quite frankly, it was more than a little depressing.

"Whoa! Whoa! Stand down!" came the loud voice of Jack O'Neill. Once everyone lowered their weapons, Jack turned to an older bald man next to him.

"General," Jack said, "This is Henrici, the leader of the..."

"Magus Praesidium," Sam offered.

"Thank you, Carter. He's the one who saved our butts, sir."

"Welcome Henrici. Thank you for saving SG-1 and Earth from the Replicators. The President of the United States has also asked that I extend to you his deepest gratitude. Colonel O'Neill tells me you and your people have offered assistance in our fight against the Goa'uld; perhaps we could discuss the possibility of an alliance between our two peoples."

Harry gave a small smile. "Perhaps. But this is not the time to discuss such possibilities." He turned to Thor. "What's going on, Thor?"

"My home world is being threatened by the Replicators. Thus far, all attempts to stop them have failed. I have come here to seek your help."

"Of course, you have it," Harry said readily. "But why are you here? You could have just sent me a message."

"I have also come to seek the help of the Tau'ri."

Jack's eyes widened. "Us? Really?"

"Your projectile weapons proved effective in fatally damaging the Replicators."

"Yeah, but-"

Thor spoke over Jack. "The Asgard have tried to stop them. You have demonstrated their weakness may be found through a less sophisticated approach. We are no longer capable of such thinking."

"Wait a minute, you're actually saying that you need someone dumber than you are?" Daniel said incredulously. Harry stifled his laughter.

"You may have come to the right place," Jack quipped.

"I could go, sir, there's nothing too pressing that can't wait," Sam said, looking at Jack.

"I don't know, Carter. You may not be dumb enough," Jack teased.

Sam smiled. "I think I can handle it, sir."

"Permission granted," General Hammond said.

Thor activated the Stargate, creating a wormhole to the Ida Galaxy. "We must leave immediately."

As they walked up the ramp, Jack added, "Have fun!"

Harry only heard Sam say, "Yeah sure, you betcha!" because of his super-hearing. He stifled a grin before following Thor.

* * *

Thor transported them to his new ship, where a great view of Othala – a planet that clearly reflected the advanced civilization that is the Asgard – could be seen out the window. In particular, there was a huge spaceship that was quite prominent. Harry examined it closely.

"Wow! That's an impressive looking ship," Sam commented.

"The _O'Neill_ was supposed to be our last great hope."

Sam turned to Thor in surprise. "The _O'Neill_?" She seemed to be stifling an urge to smile.

"Yes, it is the most advanced technological Asgard creation yet. It is the first Asgard vessel designed solely to fight in the war against the Replicators."

"So why aren't we taking that?" she asked quizzically.

"It is not ready."

Harry interrupted them. "How many Replicator-controlled ships are on the way?"

"Three. Five Asgard ships are currently engaging them. We are going to join the battle, and with your help, stop them. For the sake of the Asgard, we must not fail," Thor said solemnly.

Harry nodded, his expression grim.

"No pressure!" Sam muttered, looking rather overwhelmed.

* * *

Harry felt like bashing his head against the wall. He had never considered himself to be smart, not like Hermione, but having a copy of the Repository in his head meant Harry knew things that once would have been beyond his comprehension, to put it mildly. Harry wasn't necessarily smarter if one was to compare him to an Alteran who had the same information, but he was, due to the sheer amount of technologically advanced knowledge in his head, millions of light years ahead of other humans. That meant for the first time in his life, Harry was feeling frustrated because someone was unable to comprehend what he thought of as real simple.

Sam, on the other hand, was looking utterly bewildered as Thor continued to explain.

"Each individual building block is capable of exerting a reactive modulating monopolar energy field on other blocks, allowing the Replicators to assemble themselves into many forms. To our knowledge, the interior of each block contains the following: 2 million isolated keron pathways-"

"Whoa. Whoa. What's a keron?" Sam asked.

Harry spoke up. "In simplest terms, it is an energy particle."

"I- I've never even heard of it."

"Yes, I am aware," Thor replied, not meaning to be unkind but simply stating a fact.

"Well, how am I supposed to help figure out how to defeat a keron-based technology if I don't even know what a keron is?" Sam demanded, her frustration evident.

"The Asgard would never invent a weapon that propels small weights of iron and carbon alloys by igniting a powder of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur. We cannot think like you," Thor reminded Sam.

Sam smiled a little. "Okay, I get your point."

Knowing that clock was running out, Harry blew out a terse breath. "Listen, Major, Thor, since I'm already familiar with this, why don't I leave you to it? If you need me, just tap me on the shoulder or something because I won't be able to hear you." Harry shot Sam a quick smile before heading towards the console on the far side of the room.

Sam bit her lip. No doubt to someone like Harry, who had to have come from a civilization that was just as advanced if not more so than the Asgard for Thor to have sought his help, she was wasting his time. Sam watched Harry walk away, before turning back to Thor and taking a deep breath.

"Okay. Let's forget about the kerons and try to put this in terms that I can understand. Each block is like it's own individual computer, capable of communicating with the other blocks. Multiple blocks come together to form bugs and other things in order to perform various tasks, ultimately for the purpose of replicating."

That was all Harry heard before he put up a Silencing Charm. He sighed in bliss before digging into his head. There was something in the Repository that could help, he just knew it.

* * *

"Harry seems to be onto something," Sam commented later as she looked over at the far side of the room. He was madly scribbling on some paper and desk he'd seemingly conjured out of thin air – and she was dying to know how he'd done it. It looked like he was designing a weapon of some sort, though the only reason Sam thought so was because it had a long arm like the shooting barrel of a gun. She was exhausted and frustrated, and considering the progress Harry was making, she felt like her presence was superfluous at best.

"Yes, he seems to be making progress." Thor turned to Sam. "You are tired."

"Yeah."

"It is another advantage the Replicators have over us. They do not require rest." Thor stared at Sam for a moment. "Would you like sustenance?"

"Yes, thank you. I'm starving," Sam said in relief.

"Perhaps Harry is also hungry," Thor speculated, before causing flashing lights to appear on the screen in front of Harry. He looked up at them.

"Did something happen?"

"No, we just wondered if you'd like to have something to eat," Sam answered as Thor beamed in a tray filled with pellets of different shapes and colors.

"I like the yellow ones," Thor commented with almost child-like enthusiasm.

Sam picked it up but before she could bite into it, Harry spoke up. "I wouldn't do that, Major. The Asgard have different taste buds than we do." Harry inwardly shuddered at the terrible "food" he'd eaten when he went to speak with the Asgard High Council. Harry reached for his pouch and dug through it. "Here, this should be more to your liking."

Sam grabbed the container that was floating in front of her. "Thank you," she said before opening it. There was a cheeseburger with a side salad and tomato soup. She had no idea how, but the burger was still perfect as though fresh from the grill, the salad crispy even with the dressing drizzled on it, and though the soup container had no lid, not a single drop had spilled. She looked up to ask but Harry was already back at work. With a little sigh, Sam forcibly stifled her curiosity and eagerly dug in.

Sam had just finished the last of her burger when the screen turned on and an image of another Asgard appeared. Sam didn't understand a word of the exchange, but she didn't have to, to know that the news wasn't good.

"What is it?"

Thor briefly closed his eyes before getting Harry's attention again. "We have lost contact with the rest of the Asgard ships engaging the Replicators."

As Harry slumped, his very being radiating sadness, Sam looked between them. "Well, could it be a communication problem?"

"No, the Asgard ships are not being detected," Thor replied. He changed the screen to show the ships in space, highlighted in red.

"So what are those then?"

"The Replicators," Harry quietly replied.

"We're too late!" Sam cried out, horrified.

"Not yet," said Harry. "The Replicators won't reach Othala for a couple of hours."

Sam looked at him quizzically. "But the Asgard ships can go much faster than light speed. I've seen Thor fly clear across the galaxy in no time."

"That's true Major, but the Replicators will travel slowly because in order to generate the subspace field required to travel at hyperspeed, full power of the generators is required, and they're using that power to replicate. Remember, they don't care about time as we do."

Sam nodded. "Right, they're not in a hurry." She bit her lip in thought. "How did they get control of your ships in the first place?" she asked Thor.

"The Replicators are capable of modifying our own weapon technology beyond our understanding."

Sam looked startled. "But I thought they learned everything they know from you!"

"It is possible they have gathered knowledge from sources other than the Asgard."

Sam shook her head. "The bottom line is, we can't touch them but they could easily take over this ship or blow it to smithereens if they wanted."

"Yes," Thor admitted.

"So why don't they?"

"We have shown no signs of aggression and this ship's technology is less advanced than the ships they currently occupy."

Sam sighed. "I'm not really helping, am I?"

Harry felt bad for Sam. She'd just been given a crash course on the Replicators and was expected to come up with a way to save Othala, and she didn't even have the advantage of having a Repository in her head.

Sam's gaze fell upon the tray with the food pellets. "The Replicators have to eat in order to replicate, and they are what they eat, right? What's the strongest material you know of?"

Thor tilted his head questioningly but gamely responded. "We have just developed a new alloy of naquadah, trinium and carbon. It was used to create the hull of the _O'Neill_."

"Can that ship reach hyperspeed yet?"

"Yes."

"Can it be flown using autopilot or some sort of remote control?" Sam asked, excitement beginning to show on her face.

"Why?" Thor sounded almost wary.

"So we can get the Replicators to chase after it!" she declared.

"It is possible, however-"

Sam shook her head. "That ship is everything they're looking for. It'll look like an all you can eat buffet!"

"But it is not complete," Thor argued. "They will capture it and consume its technology."

Sam smiled. "Not if you rig it to self-destruct."

Thor stared at Sam. "I do not understand."

"You said that the bugs can't use shields or weapons in hyperspace. If the _O'Neill_ enters hyperspace the bugs will have to in order to follow. When they do you blow the _O'Neill_ and take the bugs with it!" Sam announced triumphantly.

Thor sat up. "Major Carter, you are suggesting that we destroy the most advanced Asgard attack vessel ever created before it is even finished."

Sam winced. "I know."

"The _O'Neill_ is our last hope of successfully attacking Replicator-infested ships-"

She blew out a terse breath. "It won't attack anything if the bugs get to your planet before it's finished! You said it yourself, you didn't think the answer had to do with your own technology anymore."

"If the Replicators do not follow the _O'Neill_-"

"We have to believe that they will!" Sam argued.

"If the Replicators are able to infest the _O'Neill_ and disable the self-destruct-"

"Then they will consume the ship and its technology and we will have created the most advanced version of the bugs yet. I know, it's a risk!"

"A risk we cannot take," Thor declared.

Sam sighed. "The whole reason that I am here is because you want me to suggest a strategy that you would never think of. You keep trying to defeat them by building better technology and they keep absorbing it and becoming more advanced. You have to use that against them. We know that they'll go after the _O'Neill_ because it's the most advanced ship that you have; they'll think that you're trying to keep that from them. They won't expect you to blow it up – it's a tactic that they've never seen before."

"It is a tactic we would never consider."

"Exactly!" Sam cried out. "Otherwise we just stand here and watch them invade your world. I'm sorry, maybe it's a really stupid idea, but isn't that why I'm here?"

"It's not a stupid idea," Harry said at last, breaking into the heated discussion. "But I don't think we have to resort to that. Yet."

"You have something?" Thor asked, his voice sounding almost desperately eager.

"I've designed a device that should permanently disrupt all communication between the individual Replicator cells, rendering each one inert. Now, it hasn't been tested so we won't know for sure whether it works until we fire it."

Thor's eyes widened. "The Asgard have explored such technology in the past with no success."

Harry shrugged. "I can't guarantee that this one will work either. The disruptor will take about 10 minutes or so before it is fully charged. But there's another problem. Even if the disruptor works, it can only fire on one ship at a time, and it takes a minute before it can fire again. During that time we'll be a target, and it is quite possible that we could be destroyed before being able to successfully fire upon the other two ships."

"So we'll need a distraction," Sam concluded. "Can the Asgard build this disruptor on the _O'Neill_ before the Replicators get here?"

Thor looked up from the designs of the disruptor he was examining. "Yes."

"Then we fire the disruptor while the Replicators are focused on the _O'Neill_. The other two ships will turn to attack us, allowing the _O'Neill_ to take out another ship. The _O'Neill _can then go into hyperspace to prevent the last Replicator ship from infecting it, and during that distraction, we will hopefully be able to take out the last ship."

Harry cautioned them. "If the disruptors don't work, we'll have to go with your plan of blowing up the _O'Neill_ – there won't be any other option."

"We have no choice. We must try it," Thor concluded before becoming enveloped in a bright light and disappearing.

Harry sighed. "Let's hope this works."

* * *

As Sam and Harry became increasingly anxious seeing the ever-closely approaching Replicator-controlled ships, Thor reappeared beside them. "The _O'Neill_ is equipped with the disruptor and has been launched."

They watched as the Replicator-controlled ships turned to follow the _O'Neill_.

"They're chasing it!" Sam excitedly said.

"Targeting the nearest Replicator-controlled ship."

Harry watched with bated breath as the disruptor beam struck and enveloped the ship. The ship stopped suddenly, as though all activity within it had ceased. The other two ships rapidly turned around and faced Thor's ship.

"The _O'Neill_ is firing."

"We have 30 seconds before the disruptor is charged again," Harry reminded them.

Thor performed evasive maneuvers to avoid the attack from the last remaining Replicator-controlled ship. "The _O'Neill_ will now enter hyperspace."

When the last Replicator-controlled ship turned to follow, Thor fired the disruptor once more.

"It worked! Yes!" Sam cried out before turning to hug Thor.

Harry laughed at the odd expression on Thor's face.

"God, I'm sorry! I didn't hurt you, did I?" Sam asked as she released Thor.

"I am fine."

"You did it, Harry!" Sam declared, smiling brightly.

Harry rubbed the back of his head in discomfort. "We've only won a small battle, Major, not the war. The conflict with the Replicators stretches across the Ida Galaxy. And they are very intelligent; there is no guarantee that they won't come up with a way to protect themselves from the disruptor."

"Saving one Asgard planet may be a small victory, but you have also given us hope where once there was none. Your disruptor will turn the tide in our battle against the Replicators. The Asgard are most grateful."

Harry blushed, causing Sam to laugh.


	7. Chapter 6

Seriously, you guys are awesome!

A couple of things:

1) Magic is energy, and since the Replicators absorb energy, any spells cast at them would only make them stronger.

2) Harry will be helping the Asgard with their cloning problem - although to what end you'll just have to wait and see!

3) Thor does know Harry's name - when they meet in chapter four, he introduced himself as Henrici and asks to be called Harry.

Enjoy and don't forget to review!

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Harry woke up late on Saturday and cracked a wide yawn. It had been ages since he had actually slept in, and in his own bed no less!

For the past few months, Harry had been on Othala with the Asgard, not only helping to build his very own warship – named the _Hedwig_, after his faithful owl – but also assisting the Asgard with the Replicator plague. While the Replicators hadn't yet found a way to make themselves immune to the disruptor, that wouldn't be the case for very long, and the Asgard couldn't continue to rely on it. The Asgard High Council agreed the only way to truly destroy all the Replicators for good would be to somehow summon all of them to one uninhabited planet and fire all the disruptors simultaneously, and then destroy the sun, to ensure that should any of the Replicators survive, they would not be able to escape the gravitational pull from the resulting black hole. Unfortunately, even with all the knowledge the Asgard had gathered over the years on the Replicators, trying to summon them proved to be an impossible task.

"There has to be a way!" Harry had lamented more than once to Kvasir and Hermiod. "However flawed it might have been, the creator must have had a way to control the damn things!"

In the meantime, the Asgard were taking advantage of having the upper hand for the first time in years, and with every ship outfitted with the disruptor – eventually successfully modified to fire multiple times without needing to be recharged in between – they fought every Replicator-controlled ship they could find. The great thing about the disruptor – besides being able to destroy the Replicators – was that it didn't damage the Asgard ships that the Replicators had modified, so that after every battle, the Asgard had more ships at their disposal. And since the modifications resulted in the ships being superior to what it had been, the Asgard were able to benefit from them, although it still took time to alter them for the Asgard fleet's use.

Hermiod, a brilliant engineer, wishing to turn the war on the Replicators around and to truly press forward on their winning streak, had asked that the Asgard build disruptor satellites around Asgard worlds, freeing up their ships to continually engage the Replicators in battle. It was an idea that generated a lot of interest, but Harry had quickly – and loudly – vetoed it.

"And what happens if the Replicators come en masse, deliberately sacrificing themselves a little bit at a time to study the disruptor and come up with a way to become immune to its effects?" Harry had demanded. "The disruptor will only work if the Replicators don't figure out how it functions, which is why every Asgard ship participates in battles with numeric superiority, to ensure that no Replicator has the chance to broadcast to its brethren any information they may have gleaned."

The Council had thankfully agreed with Harry, and Hermiod had eventually come to see reason, although he could still be heard grumbling about it under his breath every now and then. Harry, who had no intention of learning to speak Asgard – although he'd been forced by necessity to learn to read it – had taken it in stride; he was just glad Hermiod was no longer staring at him with awe.

While Harry had enjoyed working with the Asgard – despite the propensity of some of the scientists and engineers to expect him to have all the answers – he eventually grew tired of the differences. Because they weren't human, they didn't know how to accommodate much of his needs that he as a human required: such as at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, edible food, toilet, shower, clothing, etc. In the beginning, Harry hadn't really minded since most of his needs could be fixed by magic, and as for food, he had brought more than enough to last him for several weeks. However, because fate hated him, naturally there had been an unforeseen circumstance.

Harry was originally supposed to return home after three weeks – and already that was pushing it, as his growing absence from the Auror Office was being questioned – but the Stargate had been unable to open a wormhole to Earth. The Asgard ship sent to investigate had found that Earth, along with 14 other planets, were trapped in a time loop, and he could not enter for the ship would be torn apart.

When Harry had found out which planets were being affected, he realized what was causing the time loop: the Ancient time machine that the Alterans had abandoned because they couldn't make it work. SG-1 had probably found it and activated it. Although he hated to leave his friends – and the entire planet – trapped, it was SG-1's mess to clean up. Besides, Harry thought somewhat guiltily, it wasn't like his friends would know they were stuck in a time loop, forced to repeat the same ten or so hours for however long it took SG-1 to shut off the device. The time loop would eventually end, and this way, Harry would be able to get a lot accomplished without creating a flurry of speculation and press in the wizarding world.

And so Harry had used the time afforded wisely, but it hadn't taken long before he grew increasingly frustrated with the demands made by the Asgard scientists and engineers on his time. Harry was dedicated and hard working, but he needed a break every now and then to relax, something the Asgard didn't quite understand. They had been at war for so long that they didn't know how to do anything else but work, eat and sleep, that Harry felt like he was being unreasonable when he took a few hours for himself. So although the Asgard were very accommodating and allowed Harry to explore whatever he wanted of Othala whenever he felt like his head was about to fall off, he knew they didn't quite understand – and maybe even disapproved – and so he often found himself cutting his breaks short, feeling guilty.

Harry had also run out of food before the first month was up, and so had had to make trips to human-occupied worlds. Since there were no humans left in the Ida Galaxy, the best options were in the Pegasus Galaxy despite the presence of the Wraith, as the Milky Way was too far from Othala to make the trip by ship feasible. But since Atlantis had a working Potentia, it could easily dial Othala, sparing the need for an Asgard ship.

Once he was back in Atlantis, Harry looked for Gate addresses that the Ancients had in their database. He picked a few and dialled them; unfortunately, not only were they rather primitive, they were hostile to his presence. He was a stranger, and though he carried no weapons – at least that they could see – they were wary and refused to trade. After traveling to half a dozen worlds, Harry finally found a world that was not only sympathetic to his plight but also able to help.

* * *

Begin Flashback

* * *

Hearing snapping of twigs, Harry called out, "Hello?" as he headed away from the Stargate. He moved closer and spotted two boys hiding behind the trees.

"Hi. My name is Harry and I'm here to trade."

The two boys looked at each other before turning back to Harry. "My name is Jinto and this is Wex. You need to meet Teyla. We can take you."

Harry smiled at them in relief. "Thanks."

They soon arrived at a settlement of several tents; there was something delicious cooking, and Harry's stomach growled in response, eliciting giggles from the two boys.

"Teyla!" Jinto called out.

A pretty woman with long red hair turned around, smiling at the boys. "Jinto, your father has been looking for you."

"We ran into Harry while playing. He wishes to trade."

Teyla stood in front of Harry and stared at him for a moment. "I am Teyla Emmagan, daughter of Tagan. Unfortunately you have come all this way for nothing for we do not trade with strangers."

Harry sighed with exhaustion. "Yes, I've heard that several times today. But please, I need to trade."

Teyla paused, Harry's earnestness and desperation making it hard for her to refuse. Suddenly, Harry's stomach growled again, loudly enough to be heard by everyone around them. As Harry blushed in embarrassment, Teyla cracked a smile. "Come, join us at our table for a meal. I will hear out your request for trade."

Harry smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"- so you see," Harry continued after finishing the last of his tuttleroot soup, "I am now stranded, unable to return home. We have no way of knowing how long it will be until I can, and there is no edible food for a human on Othala. So I made my way here, hoping to trade for food, but you are all wary of strangers – for good reason, of course," he hastily added.

Teyla was about to say something when a scream rang out. Harry joined the Athosians in rushing out of the tent and saw a tall man being carried by several others. He was clearly injured, although Harry couldn't see by what. It was only when he was being carefully laid out that Harry saw he was bleeding heavily from his abdomen.

He didn't wait to hear what had happened, just moved forward until he could kneel beside the prone body.

"Move back," he ordered those who were getting in his way.

They started at the command from a stranger, but after sharing a look with Teyla, they did so, although rather reluctantly. Harry hurriedly reached into his pouch for the familiar vial of the Blood-Replenishing Potion. Uncorking the bottle, Harry forced the injured man to drink it, and then Vanished any debris or dirt from around the wound. Harry then placed his hand over the wound and concentrated on healing him. When Harry exhaled and moved his hand away, all that was left was unmarred skin, perfectly healed.

As the people around them gasped in shock and awe, many moving closer to examine the man's stomach, Harry slowly stood up, wobbling a little before gaining his balance.

"Are you alright?" Teyla asked him worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Harry reassured her. "Healing just takes a lot out of me."

Teyla stared at him for a beat before she placed her hands on his shoulders and reached up to touch her forehead to his. "Thank you," she said as she pulled back, "You have earned both my friendship and that of my people."

Harry smiled weakly. "Does that mean we can trade?"

Teyla laughed.

* * *

Unfortunately for Harry, the Athosians did not value gold and precious jewels. While Harry was desperate for food – seriously, what the Asgard ate tasted horrid – and he had more money than he knew what to do with, years of living without meant Harry wasn't about to not get a fair price for what he had to offer. Just because the Athosians didn't know or have use for the gold and the jewels did not change that. But Harry also had other things that he knew the Athosians would find useful.

"Well, if not the gold..." Harry rummaged through his pouch for his potions stash. Besides his emergency kit, Kingsley had gifted Harry with a box full of potions for his birthday that Harry hadn't really had a chance to look through. If it was anywhere near as useful as his own, then he'd likely be able to get enough food to last him for a good while. His eyebrow rose when he saw the sheer number of bottles – clearly, he owed Kingsley one.

"As you can see, I have plenty of potions. I have a paste that will heal burns, a potion that can sooth and reduce coughing, another that can help a person sleep without nightmares, one that can heal wounds, another that when ingested protects you from fire, potions that will give you extra endurance or energy or strength, and a potion that will cure colds."

Harry paused, fingering the small vial of Felix Felicis. "I also have this. It is rare, and extremely difficult to brew." Harry handed the vial with the shiny gold liquid to Teyla. "My people call it liquid luck. There's enough there to last for 3 hours; during those 3 hours, whoever drinks it will have incredible luck. They'll be given guidance that can lead them to the best possible outcome. I used it myself to win a battle; you may be able to do the same to protect yourself from the Wraith."

Teyla stared at Harry with wonder. "This is... priceless."

"If it works as you say," Toran interjected.

"It does," Harry said confidently.

"And what would you want in return?" Teyla asked, tearing her eyes away from the tiny bottle.

"As much food as you can spare."

Teyla handed the bottle back. "I must speak with the rest of my people."

"Of course," Harry agreed, packing up. "I'll go wait outside."

They asked for a quick demonstration of one of his potions – not the Felix Felicis, since that was too valuable – so Harry used the Pepper-Up to cure one of the boys – Wex – from a cold. Seeing its success, the Athosians were more than happy to give him as much food as they could spare; unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough. Harry could not afford to keep returning every time he had to replenish his food supply, especially when the Athosians often moved settlements to avoid the Wraith. Still, Harry gave them the Felix Felicis and the Essence of Dittany, on the condition that Teyla introduce him to her other trading partners. Several of the Athosians thought he offered too little for what they were giving him, but they had no idea how expensive and rare the potions he was trading was.

Teyla's presence did much to alleviate any wariness the people from other worlds may have felt at dealing with a stranger. And fortunately for Harry, a few of them knew the value of gold so Harry didn't need to trade with his dwindling potions supply. By the end of it all, Harry thought he had enough food to last him for a couple of months.

"I had planned to take you to the Genii," Teyla said as they flew back to the Gate, their cargo practically filling up all available space in the ship. "They are simple people but good farmers and fair traders. However, it is highly unlikely they will trade for gold."

Harry looked over at Teyla. "Well, I don't have many potions left. Still, we can try."

Teyla nodded. "Alright. The Genii Stargate is a short distance from their village. I suggest we walk; this ship may alarm them. As I said, they are very simple."

"We'll leave the ship here then."

Harry cloaked the ship and stepped through the Gate after Teyla. "Where to?"

"We should allow them to come to us."

Harry's brow furrowed. "I thought you knew where the village is."

"I do. But while they are simple people and they trust me, that trust was hard earned."

Harry nodded slowly. "How will they know we're here?"

Teyla smiled. "They already do."

A dark-haired man and a young blonde woman approached them. "The eldest one is called Tyrus. I've traded with him on many occasions," Teyla said.

"Teyla Emmagan," Tyrus greeted.

"Tyrus. It has been many days."

"Too many."

"Teyla," the blonde said.

"This is Harry," Teyla gestured, introducing him.

Tyrus nodded. "My daughter, Sora."

"Hi," Harry said cheerfully enough, if a little tiredly.

"Harry has come to trade for a share of your crops." At their wary look, Teyla reassured them, "He is my friend, Tyrus. I would not have brought him if I did not think him worthy to become yours."

"We'll take you to see Cowen," he said at last.

"Follow me," Sora said, and led Teyla and Harry away. As Teyla engaged Sora in conversation, Harry looked back at Tyrus. His super-sight allowed him to see a device of some sort on his wrist, far more advanced than what their dress and behaviour indicated.

"I'm bringing them in. All operations to silent mode."

Harry wasn't sure what was going on, but something clearly was. He was too tired and in no mood for his infamous luck to strike. He pretended to falter and leaned heavily against a nearby tree. "Teyla!"

Teyla turned around and saw him. She hurried back, looking worried. "Are you alright, Harry?"

"Just tired. I think we might have to do this another day."

"Of course," she reassured him. "I'll take you back to Athos. We can come back when you feel up to it."

Tyrus looked at Harry suspiciously but Sora smiled sympathetically. "You do look rather exhausted."

Harry and Teyla slowly made their way back to the Stargate, Harry feigning more tiredness than he felt, and said their farewells before returning to Athos.

Harry straightened up as soon as the Gate shut down behind them. "Teyla," Harry began as he uncloaked his ship, "I would be careful with the Genii."

Teyla looked at him strangely. "Careful?"

"They are not what they seem," he warned.

Teyla stared at Harry for a beat before slowly nodding. She didn't know what Harry had found out about the Genii during their short visit there and she didn't approve of his deception, but she would take his warning to heart. "Will you not stay with us tonight?"

"No. I think I have enough, and I must return."

"You are always welcome among my people," Teyla reminded him.

"Thank you, Teyla."

* * *

End Flashback

* * *

Still, despite all that, Harry couldn't deny that being able to spend months working with the Asgard had been extremely fruitful. While not much headway was made in coming up with a way to completely eradicate the Replicators, a significant progress was made in building the _Hedwig_. Harry designed the ship to be a mix of the Lantean battleships that had fought the Wraith and the _O'Neill_-class ships of the Asgard; the _Hedwig_ retained the overall cylindrical appearance of the Lantean battleships but was far larger and had the smoother lines that were so characteristic of the Asgard ships. The hull was made with the new naquadah-trinium-carbon alloy and the systems were by necessity also a mix of Alteran and Asgard technologies, since only Harry knew how to build a solely Alteran vessel. But that, Harry thought, turned out to be for the best, seeing as the Asgard and the Replicator-modified Asgard vessels had some remarkable hyperdrives. The _Hedwig_ had the standard Asgard weapons – the ions guns – and used neutrino-ion generators, but Harry had also installed a Potentia along with the mainstay of Alteran weapons, the squid fires. The Alteran staple, the control chair, ensured Harry would be able to pilot and go to battle by himself.

Lastly, Harry spent his time designing and creating an artificial intelligence for the _Hedwig_, in the form of his beloved owl.

When Harry had thought about building a battleship, he'd known that despite the control chair he'd need assistance, and really, who would be better suited than Hedwig herself? As an owl, she had been a most loyal companion – his first gift as well as his first friend – and she had been far more intelligent than an ordinary owl. The AI of Hedwig could keep him company and assist him, and even fix the ship when needed – or she would be able to do so, once Harry gave her the ability to "morph" her wings so that they could change into mechanical arms.

Kvasir and Hermiod – not to mention the other Asgard that had witnessed what he was creating – saw the usefulness of having an AI, but they didn't understand why Harry was creating one in the form of a bird. Despite Harry's explanations about his beloved Hedwig, the Asgard failed to understand. Eventually, they chalked it up to Harry being from another world; Harry grumbled under his breath about stuffy, unimaginative Roswell aliens.

In any case, the _Hedwig_ was by no means completed by the time the loop had ended, but Harry was assured that before too long, their enemies would have a serious battle royale on their hands.

* * *

Once Harry returned to Earth, it didn't take very long before he found himself with nothing to do. He made enough power crystals and squid fires for the Gateships as well as the _Hedwig_; his time at work was boring, filled with paperwork for the most part, as nothing too pressing or dangerous came to the Aurors' attention; and Andromeda didn't really need his help to take care of Teddy – Harry, in fact, sensed that Andromeda disliked his interference. His friends were busy with their own lives – Ron and Hermione, in particular, were busy being Ron'n'Hermione whenever they weren't working – and so Harry was at loose ends. And the one time Harry had ventured out to Diagon Alley without a disguise, he had been so thoroughly mobbed that he didn't dare leave his house for several days afterwards. He hadn't been mobbed like that since the days following Voldemort's death, and Harry was definitely not prepared to tolerate feeling like an animal in a zoo once again.

And so, Harry came to a difficult – but ultimately inevitable – decision and risked going into the Ministry as himself.

"Harry," Kingsley greeted as the young wizard entered his office.

"Hullo Kingsley," Harry said tiredly as he practically collapsed into the seat.

Kingsley felt his lips twitching in amusement. "You were missed," was all he said.

Harry scowled. He didn't find the attention funny at all. And it wasn't just the general public either, though Harry reminded himself to never venture out into Diagon Alley looking like himself again; it was also the Ministry workers, those he had thought had long gotten used to him.

But it did all lead to a conclusion that Kingsley would not at all find hilarious. "I'm quitting, Kingsley," Harry said without further ado.

The shock on Kingsley's face was quite satisfying. "What?"

"I'm resigning from the Aurors," Harry carefully enunciated.

When Kingsley didn't say anything further, Harry shifted a little uncomfortably. "Surely you knew this was coming."

Kingsley shook his head. "Not this soon. Your ship's not even ready," he said almost helplessly.

"Well no," Harry admitted, "But there's really nothing for me to do here, and the Asgard need my help."

Kingsley had to concede the point. Harry had been away from the Auror Office for months, and even the public could see that the Aurors were fully capable of handling any troubles that came their way without the Chosen One. The demand for Harry's return wasn't as loud as it used to be – Harry was more of a symbol now, a celebrity, that the wizarding world was mad over. His long absence from the public eye just made his return that much more exciting, but attention was something that Harry despised. Kingsley couldn't honestly blame Harry for wanting to get away from it.

Still, that didn't mean Kingsley would let him go so easily. Harry was a friend, not just a colleague, and although Kingsley had suspected Harry would eventually leave Earth for a long while, if not for good, he didn't want to lose him just yet. "What about Teddy?"

Harry shrugged. "Andromeda has him well in hand. Besides, it's not like I'm going to be gone for forever. I'll only be at the Asgard homeworld for a few weeks; I won't be able to stand living there for longer than that."

Kingsley couldn't think of anything else to say. Harry's mind was firmly made up, and his strength of will was legendary. Besides, it really wasn't fair to put his needs above the needs of an entire civilization, and possibly the universe.

Kingsley nodded reluctantly. "Good luck then. Don't be a stranger."

Harry gave a tiny grin. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Kingsley."

* * *

Despite Harry's repeated assurances that he would return in a couple of weeks, Harry's friends insisted on throwing him a farewell party at Hogwarts in the Room of Requirement, with the Headmistress's permission, of course. They could all feel that this was the first step, that although Harry would return every so often, that things would never be the same, that Harry's adventures would take him far away, somewhere they couldn't follow.

It was something they had frankly expected, although Ron and Hermione took it the hardest; they had been there for every one of Harry's adventures, and the idea that that would no longer be the case was certainly heart wrenching. Still, they had their own lives on Earth that they couldn't just leave behind, even for all the knowledge and marvel that the universe could offer.

"Do take care of yourself, Harry," Hermione tearfully said, hugging him tightly.

"And don't forget to visit often, yeah?" Ron added, his voice gruff.

"I will, and I'll visit so often it'll be like I never left."

Luna stepped forward. "If you find any Crumple-Horned Snorkack-"

Harry smiled gamely. "I promise I'll take plenty of photos and try to bring a specimen back for you."

"Let me know if you need anything," Neville insisted once more.

"Thanks, I will."

Harry watched as his friends entered the Floo, one by one. When only Hermione and Ron were left, he hugged them again.

"You are my best friends; that won't change, I promise."

Hermione's red eyes turned teary again, and she cried as she hugged Harry tighter. "We love you, Harry."

Ron let out a suspicious sniff and tightened his hand on Harry's shoulder before letting go. With one last look at Harry, Ron and Hermione finally left.

Harry let out a sharp breath. He blinked back tears and looked around the place that had been his home, more than Privet Drive, more than Grimmauld Place.

Harry hoped he would see it again.


End file.
